


We meet again

by Sunshinecowger



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hidden Relationship, Hope, Love, Need, Old Flames, Passion, Reunions, affair, high school loves, old loves, reunited, stale marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-02-13 19:01:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 38,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12990477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunshinecowger/pseuds/Sunshinecowger
Summary: Marcus and Abby were once a hot item in high school. However, as young love often ends, theirs did.Now, years later in a turn of events, Abby finds herself sitting unbeknownst to her in Marcus's kitchen. Everything changes when he offers his wife's friend a ride home.





	1. Chapter 1

“You are just going to love my husband, honestly, he is just a dream boat. Well, truth be told, it has been awhile since I have seen that side of him, but it is still hidden in him somewhere.”  
Abby listened as she sat in Diana’s car. The woman was not exactly Abby’s friend, but what could one do when your car broke down on the interstate and Diana happened to drive by?  
“Now, tell me, Abby, why aren’t you married anymore?”  
This was not information that she was about to divulge to a woman that she had never been very fond of. Instead Abby merely smiled, well, smirked before reaching for her phone.  
“I need to call Jake and let him know that I will be a little late and see if he can drop off Clarke a bit later.”  
Diana didn’t exactly take the hint, she very rarely did. Abby was not looking forward to meeting the man behind the woman.  
“So, your ex has your daughter right now?”  
“Yes, when he isn’t on patrol, he keeps her and spends as much time with her as he can. Of course, Clarke being four, she is all for being with her daddy.”  
Diana seemed to be appraising Abby, which only made Abby a bit nervous when she wanted Diana’s eyes to be on the road.  
“Well, I have seen pictures of your daughter, she looks nothing like you, Abby.”  
“D.N.A. she is her father’s spitting image for sure.” 

Marcus was headed home, he wasn’t sure when everything had become so mundane. There was no longer excitement when he clocked out at the end of the day. He loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves all while keeping one hand on the wheel of his truck. The truck, that was a source of happiness and he wasn’t even ashamed of how much he enjoyed tinkering on the truck.  
He noticed a couple in the car next to him, he could easily spy on them as they had the roof down and he sat higher up. The woman ran her hand through the man’s hair. The man reached over and caressed the woman’s leg.  
It wasn’t that Marcus was a sex fiend, but, truth be told, he did miss it. There was a time when Diana made him feel like no other man could make her feel what he could and he had cherished it. Then somewhere along the line, things had begun to change.  
The kids that he had hoped for, never came. Diana was fine with it. ‘We can take vacations; other couples can’t do that.’ However, he would have much rather stayed home on a Saturday night with Tom and Jerry, (he wondered if that was still a popular cartoon) television as he rolled around Matchbox cars with his son.  
Now, nearing forty -five, he didn’t think it was in the cards for him anymore and as much as he would never admit it to anyone else, it broke his heart.  
Somewhere along the line, he no longer found Diana beautiful, she was, he knew it in the way other men eyed her. Only, for Marcus, he knew the real woman, the woman beneath the skin and it reminded him of all the times his mother would warn him, saying things like ‘beauty, Marcus is fleeting, you want to find someone with soul. Someone who will be good to your children and to you.’ In the end, he hadn’t listened. Instead he had based his relationship with Diana by the hard on in his pants and not with the logic he should have used. 

When Marcus pulled into the driveway, he was disappointed to see that Diana was already home, he had half a mind to back out of the driveway and head to the local pub and down one. He wouldn’t dare drink more, he was a detective after all. With a deep sigh, he pulled in behind her and put the truck in park. He rested his head against the back of the seat before he took the key out of ignition and slowly stepped out of the truck.  
The most shocking thing to happen to him in a while was the way Diana greeted him.  
“Hi honey!”  
Hi honey? Since when had she called him a pet name, he didn’t bother to respond which only made Diana glare at him. Suddenly, she was sashaying towards him, one hand laid against his chest, only the material blocking her from skin to skin contact.  
“I’m so glad you are home, baby. A friend of mine is here, please come and meet her.”  
The man hated these little games but, as always, he found himself following her into the kitchen. A woman was sitting with her back to them at the island. She had long dark brown hair with bits of gold weaved through.  
“Abby, this is my husband, Marcus Kane.”  
It was as if lightbulbs went off in both of their heads at the same moment as recognitions shot through both of them. Abby all but fell off the stool as she stood to her full height, which wasn’t much as she stared back at the man that she had once known all too well.  
“Marcus…..”  
“Abby….”  
They said it in unison.  
“Do you two know each other?”  
It was Abby that spoke first, as if she knew how Diana would handle any news.  
“We went to high school together.” Abby said it as she tried desperately to pull her eyes away from the man that had gone from the slender boy to the well filled out man. His hair had grown longer and wavy and the beard added such sex appeal to him, that Abby felt like her chest was tightening.  
Marcus let his eyes fall over her, as much as he tried to hide it, he was failing. This woman in front of him was even more beautiful than she had been in high school. Her hips and breast curved in the most beautiful, sensual of ways. He had recalled with a throbbing pain in his groin what it had been like to cup her breasts as his mouth had found her neck.  
With a thick tongue, he finally spoke. “How have you been, Abby?”  
The woman across from him barely had a chance to open her mouth before Diana jumped in.  
“Abby is divorced, isn’t that just the saddest thing, honey?”  
Marcus seemed to be apologizing with his eyes as they stay focused on his first love.  
“I have a wonderful little girl.”  
As Abby watched him, she was sure that she had witnessed his eyes brighten and the mention of her daughter.  
“That’s great. A daughter? How old is she?”  
And of course, like any wonderful mother who wants to show off her child to someone she had once been close too, Abby whipped out her phone and shown her screensaver to the man who still smelled so damn good. He was standing so close now as he moved in her space in order to see the picture. The picture was of a little girl with layers of blond hair, she was in blue jeans and a pink t-shirt that said ‘They say I’m not the boss’ and the kicker that made Marcus smile was that she was wearing pick converse. Abby was always wearing converse in high school. While other girls were trying to push fashion, Abby was always happy in jeans and a t-shirt and still she knocked all the other girls out of the water. Marcus steadied the phone as Abby held it, their fingers touching all too briefly. She wondered if he felt the warmth spread through him as she did, she didn’t want him to feel so damn good. Without meaning to be rude, she pulled the phone away from him, although she did it gently, he knew or at least he thought he did. Marcus merely gave her a smile.  
“Your daughter is wonderful, how old is she?”  
“She just turned four. You’ll have to meet her sometime. Her dad is a detective and I’m guessing by the holster on your hip that you work on the force in some way too?”  
He nodded.  
“I work for the Arkadia precinct. Your ex, where does he work?”  
“Same, Jake Griffin. Do you know him?”  
Marcus looked at her oddly for a minute before nodding.  
“Jake is a good guy. I didn’t realize that the pictures on his desk were your daughter. I knew she looked familiar, but the pictures he has, she is a lot younger.”  
“He still counts on me to make sure he has new pictures. I don’t mind, he is a wonderful father.”  
“Well, it is nice to hear someone speak so kindly about their ex.”  
Abby smiled, that same smile that Marcus recalled in his dreams from time to time. He wanted to stare at her forever, to capture every move to memory.  
“How do you know Diana?”  
Diana was leaning back against the kitchen counter and staring at him. He knew that he had to bring her back into the conversation before she started to feel unwanted.  
“We work together at the hospital. Not closely, however, my car broke down. She saw me and offered to give me a ride. Diana was kind enough to offer me a ride home after she changes.”  
Diana suddenly looked down at her clothes.  
“I haven’t done that yet, have I? Actually, Marcus, my neck hurts. Would you be a dear and give Abby a ride home? I would like to go up and soak in the tub.”  
He looked from Diana and over to Abby.  
“Is that alright with you, Abby?”  
She nodded.  
“Of course, I hope you feel better, Diana.”  
“It’s you who I hope feels better, I’m sure with a kid always with you, you probably never get to enjoy a night out or a soak.”  
Abby gave a forced smile.  
“I enjoy having my daughter with me, I would give up any gala or any soak to enjoy time with Clarke.”  
“If you are ready, Abby?”  
He held out his arm as if to usher her out towards the door. Abby was grateful for the chance to leave. With her purse under her arm, she headed for the door with Marcus behind her.  
“Do you have anything else in Diana’s car?”  
“No, just my purse.”  
Marcus opened the passenger door for her, momentarily they brushed past each other. Abby looked up at him and wasn’t all that surprised to see that he was looking right back at her. She ignored the warmth that was growing in her, she had known the boy and it terrified her to think that the man was this close to her. She slipped into the seat and tried desperately not to meet his gaze as he shut the door. Abby could feel his dark caramel colored eyes on her. She swallowed hard as he made his way around the truck and opened the driver’s door.  
“I never would have imagined I would have been in your house today.”  
He smiled as he fiddled with the radio station, it was already set on music he enjoyed and yet he had to do something with his hands to keep them occupied. The boy in him wanted to lunge at her. The man in him knew that he couldn’t.  
“I sure wasn’t expecting to see you in my house, Abby. However, it was a welcome surprise. I am happy for you that you are a mom. I remember how that was one of your dreams, you wanted kids quickly after high school and now you work at a hospital while being a mama.”  
“The kids didn’t happen immediately after high school. Instead, I went to school and became a pediatrician. I thought kids might never come and then immediately after Jake and I got married, I found out that I was going to be a mom.”  
He noticed how she smiled at the memory.  
“No more kids, Abby?”  
“I wanted more, but then Jake didn’t want to be married anymore. It’s hard enough sharing a schedule with Jake with one child, I couldn’t imagine having another one and having to work out a schedule with another man. What about you?”  
He took his eyes off the road and looked at her.  
“What about me?”  
He focused back on the road in front of him. Abby shrugged.  
“No kids?”  
“I wanted them, I wanted two or three. However, it just wasn’t meant to be.”  
Because Abby had known the boy so well, she knew the sadness that radiated off of him. Part of her wanted to reach out and console him, the way she would a sick patient. With a heavy heart, she kept her hands in her lap.  
“I’m really sorry, Marcus. I always knew you would have been a great father.”  
He gave a slight nod.  
“Thank you, Abby. Listen, it’s best that you don’t tell Diana the truth behind our past.”  
Their eyes caught for a brief moment. They were both very aware of the brokenness in the other.  
“You don’t want her to know that we used to be each other’s everything?”  
Marcus gave her a look that almost stole her breath and then he once again shook his head.  
“No, it will just start drama and the one thing I am sick of is drama in my marriage.”  
For some reason, the sound of him using a word like ‘marriage’ while talking about another woman pulled at something inside of Abby. She forced herself to look out the window as she gave directions to Marcus.  
“Did I say something wrong, Abby?”  
However, despite her protests, he knew that look in Abby’s eyes. She reached out and touched his forearm.  
“No, no, of course, not. You have every right to not want me to cause unnecessary drama in your marriage.” She pointed to the next stop sign. “Make a right up here, it’s the second house on the left.”  
Marcus felt his heart began to pound. He took the turn slowly and then pulled into the driveway of a small but beautifully landscaped house. Marcus reached out and grabbed her forearm, shocking Abby when he didn’t immediately let go. Her eyes flashed up to his.  
“Let me make this very clear, Abby. You would not be the one to cause the drama. It would be Diana to start it.”  
He seemed to be sputtering out the words as if he was trying to get them to make sense to both Abby and himself.  
“Why are you so sad, Marcus?”  
He stared at her as if she had slapped him.  
“I’m sorry, Marcus. It’s none of my business. I’ll go.”  
“Wait! Please! Just wait!” He was still hanging on to her arm, this time with more pressure.  
Abby turned her body towards him and looked at him with the same compassion that she always had for him even when he was the unsure boy in high school.  
“What is it?”  
Marcus looked at her like he was broken.  
“Can I have your number?”  
Abby shook her head even as she placed her hand on top of his.  
“It’s not a good idea, Marcus.”  
It was stupid to feel as if she had just stolen his hope, when less than twenty minutes ago, he saw her sitting in his kitchen. Marcus looked away from her and softly loosened his grip on her arm. Abby held his hand in place, refusing to let it go.  
“If you don’t want drama with your wife, how is it going to look if I suddenly have her husbands cell phone number and he has mine?”  
Once again, his dark sad eyes were on hers.  
“It will look like we are two old friends who want to stay in touch.”  
He watched as Abby gave the smallest flick of her head. When she spoke, it was the softest of whispers.  
“Is that all it would be, Marcus? Just two old friends catching up?”  
He shrugged as he took her hand in his and scooted just a bit closer to her across the bench seat.  
“I don’t know, Abby. All I know is the last few minutes alone with you in this truck is the most alive I have felt in a long time and all we did was drive a few blocks. I won’t pressure you, I didn’t pressure you back then and I wouldn’t do it now.”  
“We broke up because I wouldn’t have sex.”  
He shook his head.  
“No, Abby, we broke up because you didn’t believe I loved you. Like a fool I let you walk away without ever knowing what it was like to get past second base. I know you thought it was all sex for me, Abby, but it wasn’t and really, how could it have been when no clothing below the waist ever came off?”  
“I thought it was all you wanted me for.”  
“And yet, I dated you for three years. Then we were over and I was shattered, Abby.”  
She gave him a stern look. “And now you are married to another woman, regardless if you don’t feel alive with her, you are married.”  
“So, this is it then?”  
“I think it has to be.”  
Once again, he found himself with his head resting against the back of the seat. He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.  
“Alright, Abby.”  
And yet, their hands were still joined. Abby lowered her head and kissed his right hand where it laid entangled with hers.  
“I know myself well enough to know that it would be a bad idea for us to be anything more than acquaintances.”  
He rolled his head towards her and stared.  
“We will always be more than acquaintances. You know it’s true, Abby.”  
A long stare passed between them. Marcus moved so slowly towards her that for a moment she was sure he was going to try to kiss her. Instead he buried his face in her neck and inhaled deeply. Abby became powerless as she wrapped her arms around him.  
“I’ll always miss you, Marcus.”  
“Don’t make it worse, Abby. Just for now, stay like this. I haven’t been like this with anyone in such a long time.”  
She ran her hands over his back as she ached to touch her lips to his skin. Yet, Abby being Abby would never allow it.  
“Get out, Abby, get out before I kiss you until neither of us can breathe.”  
He started to lean away from her. Abby stopped him quickly as she reached into her purse and pulled out a pen. Just like when they were in high school, she exposed his forearm and wrote down her number.  
“Don’t forget to wash that off when you get home.”  
Marcus smiled at her. With his right hand he brushed back a strand of her hair.  
“I already miss you, Abby.”  
She blushed, just like she did all those years ago. Quickly, she moved out of the truck and although she told herself that she wouldn’t look back, she did. They smiled at one another before Abby disappeared inside her house. 

To be continued………


	2. Chapter 2

Marcus had slept on the couch in his office, it wasn’t the first time, in fact he had done it more times than he could count. Drifting off into a dream was perhaps the most comforting thing to happen to him in some time.  
He was young, thin, and wore a jacket that was about two times too big. It hadn’t mattered though, Abby was standing next to him and she was in a dress, which was odd for her, she had hardly ever worn one. Tonight, was their second date though and Abby was in a blue dress, she looked remarkable. Marcus was sure that she had borrowed it from one of her friends. The dress was just as big on her as his jacket was on him.  
Marcus was grateful for the jacket even though it was probably too warm to wear it. However, the sleeves covered up the bruises that his father had left on his skin. Marcus had made a solemn vow to never share with Abby for fear that she might not want to go out with him again. The last date had been great, they had met at the park, acting as if they were there to hang out with friends. Yet, when Marcus asked her is she wanted to go for a walk, she jumped at the chance.  
This meeting had been pretty much set up through friends, they were sophomores after all and Marcus had never thought of going out with anyone else however. He had started to have quite the crush on her when she was in the high school play the year before. In fact, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Suddenly, he understood what all the fuss was about when it came to girls. Of course, he hadn’t had the courage to talk to her until he purposely signed up for drama just to be near her.  
Here they were this time walking into the movie theatre, his mom had dropped them off. As sweet as his mother was, she just kept smiling and it was driving Marcus nuts. Vera had handed her son a twenty-dollar bill.  
“Mom, where did you get this?”  
“Don’t you worry about it.”  
He had shaken his head.  
“If he finds out......”  
She had shaken her own head at that point.  
“Honey, it was never his to begin with. I’ve been helping to take care of the kindergarten classrooms, they give me a bit of money for it. Take it, you can buy her popcorn, maybe a coke, or even both. Now you go and get in the car, I’ll be there in a minute.”  
Now, Marcus was sitting next to Abby in the theatre while they watched ‘You’ve Got Mail’. Abby sipped on their coke that she had said would be enough for both of them. She looked cool as a cucumber while Marcus on the other hand wanted so badly to put his arm around her or reach out and take his hand. The movie was three fourths of the way done when Abby had both of her hands in her lap, the popcorn was in his lap. He told himself to reach out and take her hand, he finally counted down telling himself that he would do it in 3-2-1 and then bam he reached out far too quickly and the popcorn flew off his lap and on the ground. He was mortified. Abby being as sweet as she was, reached down and placed the popcorn container right side up and left it on the ground, Abby leaned over to Marcus and whispered.  
“What happened? Are you alright?”  
He knew he was red, he could feel the heat in his cheeks.  
“Yes, a cramp in my leg.”  
“This one?”  
And suddenly her hand was on his leg just about the knee as she massaged it. Marcus nodded without looking at her.  
“Yes. Thank you.”  
And then he casually took the hand that had rubbed his leg and held it in his. Abby smiled at him, the sweetest, kindest smile and he for the first time in his life had wanted to touch a girl’s face. He wasn’t even sure how he would do it if he did, and yet, the need was there. In the end, he didn’t. In fact, he didn’t even kiss her that night.  
No, the kiss came three weeks later, when he was walking her home after school. They cut through the alley the way they always had. On that particular day, they were alone, which very rarely ever happened. Marcus had got a bit more comfortable in taking her hand in his. He had pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed the top of it gently. Abby had stopped walking and stared at him. He suddenly felt awkward.  
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”  
He was sure that when she stared at him that she was angry. His dad, before striking had always just stared at him. Only Abby smiled.  
“I liked it, Marcus.”  
He smiled back at her, suddenly he was looking at her lips. Then finally three weeks after realizing he wanted his fingers to graze her face, he reached out with a trembling hand as his fingers touched her cheek. He took a step towards her, looked her in the eye and realized that the girl in front of him wasn’t going to stop him. Marcus barely let his lips land on hers when they both gasped in the kiss. It was the first kiss for both of them. When Abby’s hand reached out to cradle his face, Marcus let out a soft moan, he was sure that there was nothing more perfect than getting to kiss the lips of Abby Walters. That was as far as the kiss went as a car went flying by blasting its horn. They both laughed. Marcus had pulled her into his arms, they hugged tightly before he took her hand again and walked her the rest of the way home. 

Marcus woke up in the dark, he let out a sigh recalling that the moment happened twenty-eight years ago. Abby and Marcus had shared lots of kisses since that first one, and now, he was aching to kiss her again. When he had arrived to the home he shared with Diana, he had disappeared into his office and put his first love’s phone number into his cellphone. He looked at the clock, it was two fifteen in the morning and yet, he couldn’t stop himself.  
‘It’s Marcus, I want to see you again.’  
He laid his phone down on his chest, sure that Abby wouldn’t bother to message back. When his phone buzzed twenty minutes later, he was shocked to see that she wasn’t telling him off.  
‘I’ve been thinking a lot about you too.’  
He smiled, the same way he had the first time Abby wrote him a love letter.  
‘Why are you awake?’  
Abby smiled at the question as she rounded the nurses station and headed to her office.  
‘I was called into work. Why are you awake?’  
‘Where is Clarke? Do you have a sitter that comes? How does that even work in the middle of the night? I was thinking about our first kiss.’  
When her phone dinged, Abby looked at the words and then held the phone to her chest. She remembered the kiss so well, the way she had touched the smooth skin of his face.  
‘I think about that first kiss, I think the one I think about more is when you kissed me in the empty class room. I dropped her off with Jake’s mom, she is a wonderful grandmother.’  
‘Jake says great things about her and your daughter. Abby, I think about that time in the classroom too. My friends had said I would like it if I ever did it, I think I liked it more because it was with you.’  
Abby shut her office door and turned on the small desk lamp. She was sure that she was blushing at his words, mostly because she had known it was true. It was that kiss that made her feel things she had never felt before, mostly the feel of his erection against her thigh.  
The woman would be lying if she said she hadn’t wondered what it would be like to feel him against her now. He was taller than he had been since that kiss in the classroom, she wondered what it would feel like to be with Marcus when she was no longer afraid of ‘going all the way.’ That fear had left her a long time ago.  
‘Marcus, we are venturing on to dangerous territory.’  
‘I know. Don’t me mad at me but, um, would you meet me for lunch?’  
‘Where are you right now?’  
‘In my office at home. Why?’  
‘To be honest, I was wondering if you were lying next to her when you texted me.’  
‘Abby, do you remember yesterday when I said I hadn’t been anyone like that in a long time?’  
The truth was that she was afraid to answer and yet, knew that she would answer him anyway.  
‘Yes. I mostly remember how it felt to have you against me.’  
Marcus ran his hand over his hardening groin through his pajama pants before answering.  
‘I haven’t slept in the same bed with Diana in over a year and it’s been even longer since I’ve touched her.’  
Abby didn’t want Marcus to be miserable and yet, she was glad that Diana wasn’t getting to touch the man that Abby had never forgotten about.  
‘How’s that possible?’  
‘Abby, she was on birth control while we were supposed to be trying to have a baby. I stopped after that.’  
‘And now after seeing me? How is messaging each other going to help anything?’  
‘Do you want me to lie and say I don’t want to touch you, to kiss your lips again, Abby? Do you want me to act like the moments we had together don’t still set fire inside my mind?’  
‘And what if I give into you? What happens when you decide you can’t be the bad guy and leave your wife?’  
‘Is that what you are afraid of?’  
The knock on Abby’s door startled her, Jackson walked in.  
“How did the surgery go?”  
She smiled at her friend.  
“Appendicitis. Pretty routine. He’s in recovery.”  
“Good, go home, get some sleep.”  
Jackson was always worried about her.  
“I will, I just want to do a couple of things.”  
“What can be so important in the middle of the night?”  
“I’m ordering something off the web for Clarke.”  
He gave her an odd look as if he didn’t quite believe her, which he really shouldn’t since she was lying through her teeth.  
“Alright, I’m headed home. See you tomorrow.”  
“Goodnight, Jackson.”  
Slowly Abby reached for the phone that she had faced down on the desk, all while hoping Marcus wouldn’t text again while Jackson was in the room. It would have just been another lie on top of another lie.  
‘I am afraid of having all those emotions come back. Marcus, you were my first love. Everything with you was so exciting, every touch, every kiss, I wanted to know what it was like to be with you and we never got that chance. I don’t want to get caught up in something that will tear me apart.’  
Marcus sat upright and read her message more than once before he finally responded.  
‘Abby, I want to lay you down, I want to finally know what it is like to be inside you and to make love to you. The truth is that I am going to kiss you when I see you again. I’m going to kiss you in such a way that you, Abby, will forget all about the boy I used to be because all I want to know is the woman I saw before me today. Now, when can I see you?’  
Abby would have been lying is she had said that her core hadn’t grown hot and extremely aroused by that last text.  
‘This weekend, in public. At the Santa Fe park at noon. I want you, Marcus. Not yet, though.’  
‘I’ll be there. I miss you.’  
‘I miss you too.’ 

The days passed all too slowly for both Marcus and Abby. They both threw themselves into their work, trying without success not to think about the other. On Saturday morning, Marcus dressed in red work out shorts and a white t-shirt before grabbing his gym bag.  
“I’m heading to the gym.”  
“Don’t forget we have that gala tonight.”  
“I don’t know if I will make it, Diana. I’ll try.”  
He was getting ready to head out the front door when Diana came flying out from the kitchen.  
“Why?”  
“I told you when you planned it that I didn’t want to go.”  
“It’s a dinner at the hospital, I was in charge of planning, how is it going to look if my husband doesn’t come along?”  
She had a point and he absolutely hated that she did.  
“What time?”  
“It starts at seven.”  
He nodded before opening the door.  
“I’ll be there.”  
Without saying a word, she stormed off while he went out the front door. Marcus threw his bag into the passenger seat before starting the truck and heading two cities over towards the park.  
Abby had a book in her hand as she sat on the bench in plain view so that Marcus would see her when he arrived. The truth was that Abby had liked the book and yet, couldn’t read it. The man had been on her mind almost constantly since he had driven her home the other day.  
All she thought about since that last text was him, his mouth, the heat of him. Abby wasn’t sure if she had been this turned on her whole life. 

When the black truck pulled in, it took everything Abby had not to run to him, to embrace him and to make it obvious that a part of her would always care about the boy she had been in love with. Abby didn’t bother hiding that she was watching him as he stood from the truck. She hadn’t particularly ever been a leg lover but then Abby saw his and she felt her stomach do a flip. He had felt toned when he had leaned into her when they were in the truck. Only now, seeing Marcus like this was almost more than she could handle.  
The man walked with strong, sure strides. Damn, he was sexy, sexier than he had ever been in high school. Marcus looked at her over his sunglasses as a slow smile moved over his lips.  
“You look beautiful, Abby.”  
“I’m in shorts and a tank top.”  
“And I’m a starving man, come with me.”  
He reached out and took her hand, she allowed him to take it.  
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”  
He gave a slight nod.  
“It’s not. Come with me anyway?”  
Abby didn’t bother to argue with him, in fact she liked the feel of her hand in his. With her free hand she threw her book into her bag and then stood up and walked beside Marcus Kane. They said very few words as they went into a deeper area of the park that led to hiking trails.  
“Tell me about your life, Abby.”  
“I’m not sure what to tell you, in all honesty. I am mostly proud of being a mom. Clarke is everything to me. Today she is at a playdate with her cousins on Jake’s side of course. I have a gala tonight so, Jake will be keeping her until tomorrow. I miss her, I have only seen her here and there all week long. I’m looking forward to having her to myself tomorrow and Monday.”  
“The gala? The hospital gala?”  
She looked up at him, they stared at each other before Abby caught on.  
“You’ll be there, with Diana?”  
He gave her a slight nod.  
“It’s weird, isn’t it? For twenty-five years I haven’t seen you and now I have seen you twice in less than a week.”  
She suddenly leaned into him, laying her head against his arm before removing it.  
“Yes, and yet, so much of it feels right.”  
“I know, Abby.”  
He pulled her gently with him as they moved down a steep hill. Marcus was careful to help her along the way. When they reached the bottom, Abby discovered they were hidden by several pine trees. As she took the last steps down, Marcus placed both his hands on her hips and watched her as she stopped moving and stared back up at him. Suddenly, she felt like the high school girl who wondered what the boys next move was going to be.  
“I want to kiss you, Abby. If you don’t want me too, I won’t.”  
He noticed how she looked terrified. He moved his hands from her waist and instead moved them slowly up her body until he was gently holding her upper arms. Marcus was very aware of the way she felt beneath his hands and yet, he was also very aware that her bottom lip was trembling. He shook his head before letting his hands drop from her.  
“It’s not that I’m not thinking about what it would be like to kiss you. Marcus, I want to so bad. It had all I’ve been thinking about since seeing you for the first time in twenty-five years and even more so since your text message. How am I supposed to see you though tonight when you are with her and know that today I have tasted your lips? Tell me how to do that.”  
He shrugged before slowly wrapping his arms around her and doing no more than holding her to him.  
“You don’t have to know what that’s like. Not yet, one day, God, I hope that one day I get to do so much more than kiss you. For now, though, Abby, we don’t have to do anything more than this. However, just like when I took you home and got to hold you all too briefly, let me hold you now, just for a moment.”  
Abby buried her face into the crook of his neck, he smelled better now as a man too. He didn’t stink when he was a kid, was one of the few teenagers who didn’t. However, now he smelled fresh and with a touch of cologne.  
“You feel good, Marcus.”  
“And you feel even better….”  
She was sure that he was going to say something else, but whatever it was he stopped himself. Marcus was holding her tightly as his nose moved into her hair and he inhaled. One of the things he had missed about her was her scent and now that alone threatened to give him an erection. Marcus pushed back from her.  
“I’m sorry, I’m still just a man after all. Why don’t we sit down and talk?”  
They sat in the middle of a grassy area and laughed and reminisced.  
It was four hours later when Abby said sadly that she had to go. Marcus walked Abby to her car. He kissed her on the cheek, near her lips before he watched her drive away. 

 

Abby got dressed for a whole different reason, she was no longer getting ready for the gala in order just to get through it. No, now, she shaved just about anything she could before putting on fresh lotion and cologne. The dress was black and shimmery. It split up the leg, just high enough to be daring without being too much. Her breast swelled at the top and as much as she tried not to think about, she couldn’t help but imagine Marcus’s mouth buried there. 

With her small black matching clutch in hand, Abby got ready to walk down the steps and into the gala. Abby held the rail with her right hand as she carefully took the steps down. Only about three steps down as she felt eyes on her, Abby searched the room and found Marcus’s hungry brown eyes on her. It looks like he had been about to take a sip of a hard drink when he froze in place, the drink dangerously close to his lips as his eyes moved over her. He had been right, it was clear right now by the way he looked at her that he was a starving man. Diana was nowhere to be seen.  
Abby without meaning too, licked her lips as she looked him over. Marcus Kane, the man who had barely filled out his letterman’s jacket was filling out his tuxedo quite nicely. Abby tried breaking eye contact with him, only to make it several more times, looking in his eyes was beyond breathtaking. He was perfection and standing there now, she would have been a fool not to give him a smile that was only meant for him. He caught it as she moved to the bar, only a breath away from him.  
“Sexiest, most beautiful, breathtaking being that I have ever seen in my life.”  
He said it just above a whisper, no one else would have heard it. Marcus sat his drink down on the bar as he stood next to her, the bartender was on the other side helping someone else. The tips of Marcus's fingers barely grazed her leg where the dress had a slit. The mere touch sent a chill through her.  
“Why do you have to look handsome in everything, Marcus?”  
Abby said it as she stared at the bottles of liquor on the other side of the bar, trying to act as if she wasn’t talking to the man so close beside her.  
“You look even more wonderful than you did at prom in that blue dress.”  
“I wanted you then too.”  
“And yet you denied me.”  
She turned to look at him, her eyes so dark intense that it made heat spread through him. When she spoke, it made him twitch inside his tuxedo pants.  
“I regret now more than ever, that I didn’t let you love me in that backseat, Marcus.”  
Without ever getting a drink, she walked away and left him standing there, Marcus picked up his drink and hid his shock as he watched her disappear into the crowd. 

To be continued…………..


	3. Chapter 3

Marcus was sitting at a table with Diana and two other couples when the lights were turned down and a man came to the stage. He smiled kindly out at the crowd.   
“I am pleased to be standing here tonight, thank you Diana Kane for putting together such a beautiful night. Everyone clapped and had their eyes on her, everyone except for Marcus who was staring across the room at Abby. She gave him a look that very clearly meant for him to stop, only he was sure he could never stop being enchanted with her.   
“We are here tonight to talk about our pediatrics department. The head of that department is our very own amazing and breathtaking Abigail Griffin, please, Dr. Griffin.”   
He outstretched his arm which was her cue to get up and walk up the steps to the stage. Abby smiled to the crowd, her eyes purposely trying to stay off the man who was stealing her thoughts.   
“As you know Pediatrics is close to my heart. When I originally started in medicine, I was going to be a cardiologist. Then one of the patients that was brought in was a little boy who had been so severely beaten, that he was almost unrecognizable. When I saw him, I knew that I wanted to switch to pediatrics. This year we had an overflow of patients and not enough room to house them all. It is my hope that the ‘Hope for Kids’ grant will come through, not only will it supply us with a million dollars to move forward with our new wing, we will be able to update the existing one. I know that many of you have started your own fundraising sites to help out with this project. For that, I thank you. As a mother of a little girl, I don’t know how any parent sits besides their child’s hospital bed and whispers goodbye. I hope that when you are walking the halls that you will take time to thank the pediatric nurses. Miller tells every little boy that he could be a superhero and he tells every little girl that it is ok to dream of being a ballerina. Murphy dances for each child during chemotherapy and as rough as he can be, not one child closes their eyes for the last time while in our department that he hasn’t cried over. It is him that will hug the parents long after their child’s body has gone cold and it is he who takes the job of cleaning all the personal belongings from each room so that the parent’s and family members don’t need too. And then there is Raven who donates time after working long hours to put makeup on each little girl so that she can feel like a real princess. In March of last year, Raven built a rocket, it goes up a few feet and can move side to side. The kids were approved to use it. Almost every day there is a line to enjoy Raven’s rocket. I am honored to work beside these individuals. I am also honored to work beside Jackson”. With this Marcus noted that her voice broke just a bit. “Jackson had the unfortunate job that he put on himself to be sure that I sit down after long surgery’s, that I take a moment to breathe when the youngest of patients can’t be saved and my heart breaks just a little bit more and it is him who will put a sandwich in front of me and guard my door and not let me leave until I give in and eat.”   
There were a few chuckles from the crowd because they knew it was true. On the screen behind her, several pictures moved slowly across the screen. Marcus smiled when he saw Abby dressed up as a cat posing with kids who were dressed up for Halloween. The nurses and Jackson were dressed up too. The pediatrics was on the fifth floor, he saw that with Abby standing next to the Pediatrics sign near her office.  
“This night is to thank all of you for your hard work and dedication to the Pediatrics department. I am grateful to be among those of you who know that whether you or treating our youngest patient or our oldest, they deserve respect, love, and kindness. Thank you for being part of this hospital.”   
With that she walked to the back of the stage and disappeared behind the blue curtain while the crowd clapped.   
Marcus had his eyes on the blue curtain as he turned to Diana.   
“I’m going to the restroom. I’ll be back.”   
She gave him a curt nod that he paid no attention too. He was grateful the stairs were near the back of the room. He headed up them quickly. He exited through the large double doors. Just as he thought, he saw Abby heading into an elevator. He all but ran in order to catch her. Running would have brought unnecessary attention to him. He entered just after her, she turned and jumped when she saw him. Luckily the elevator was empty. They stood side by side facing the doors. The sexual tension palpable. The tips of his fingers grazed hers, that alone sent heat through both of them.   
“This elevator has cameras.”   
“I guess you’ll need to take me to your office then.”   
“Marcus……”   
“Abby, please….”   
“Just follow my lead.”   
The doors opened to the fifth floor, it was quiet at this time of night with most of the patients watching the nightly movie or perhaps already asleep. Nurses were doing their rounds, walking in and out of rooms quietly. They walked without talking. Abby led Marcus to the oak colored door with the words ‘Dr. Abigail Griffin’ inscribed on a piece of wood. Abby unlocked her door and stepped inside. Marcus closed it behind them and locked it while looking at her. The woman who had in his head been the center of the night dropped her clutch on the tiny couch against the wall, she turned and stared at him.   
Marcus was still at the door, one hand in his pocket while the thumb and forefinger of his other hand slid slowly over his chin and upper lip. He was eyeing her, his eyes dark and heavy seemed to be drinking her in.   
He looked her over slowly, the way her honey dark hair was swept up on one side while the other fell in waves down her shoulder. He could see the swell of one of her breasts while the other was covered by the hair he wanted to run his hands through. Abby’s breathing had changed, the mere sight of him drinking her in was enough to make her want him then and there. Finally, his eyes moved back up and landed on her own. The look in her eyes were the same as his and that made him harder than he should be at that moment.   
When he finally moved, it was slow and deliberate. All too slowly he moved towards her before coming to a stop in front of her. He placed his hands on the side of her neck, then slowly let one disappear into the waves of her hair, his eyes following his hand, as if he didn’t quite believe this was the girl he had loved all those years ago. Marcus’s other hand stayed loosely on her neck.   
When she licked her lips without meaning too, his eyes caught the seductive movement immediately. He looked into her eyes one last time before he lowered his mouth to hers. Abby gasped and wrapped her arms around him. She felt the heat rush through her, the way it moved from her lips to her neck, to her breasts, and all the way down in her core. Their lips moved slowly at first as if they weren’t quite sure that this moment was happening.   
Abby slid her fingers up the back on his neck, disappearing into the thickness of his hair. Marcus felt her move closer to him, the swell of her breasts pushed up against him. Their tongues met at the same time, yet, they kept it slow. The feeling sweeping through them. Marcus pulled only far enough away to let his lips give her face the sweetest attention. He kissed her face with small kisses, making her feel loved and the last thing she needed was to feel loved by him when he belonged to someone else. Yet, she was powerless to stop him and instead she let out the slightest whimper as he kissed her ear before pulling the earlobe between his teeth.   
He stretched his fingers out along her neck so that she would arch to him, she did it perfectly allowing his kiss swollen lips to graze her neck. Abby sucked the air through her teeth as he grazed his teeth along her exposed skin. Marcus felt it reverberate thorough him when she moaned.  
Abby shivered when his fingers which had left her hair reached down and slid on her leg at the slit of the dress. He liked that he could make her feel that way.   
“Marcus, Marcus..”   
“I don’t want to stop.”   
“Where does everyone think you went?”   
“The bathroom.”   
She cupped his face and looked at him with sad eyes.   
“I want you, Marcus Kane. I’ve always wanted you. But, you should have been back in your chair twenty minutes ago.”   
He had his hands on her rib section as he stared down at her breasts before looking back into her eyes.   
“I’ll leave if you tell me one thing.”   
“What?”   
“When can I see you again?”   
“I have Clarke until Sunday night. How about Thursday. Clarke will be back with her dad.”   
“Abby, that long?”   
“Please, Marcus.”   
“You don’t have to ask. I’ll be there. I’ll call you so you can let me pull my truck in the garage if that’s alright.”   
She gave a slight nod before stepping on her tip toes and meeting his lips.   
“Marcus?”   
“Yeah.” He said it like a sad little boy.   
“I miss you already.”   
He gave her a small smile when she repeated his same words.   
“Abby, You’re my everything again, just that quick. You own me.”   
He kissed her before leaving her office, ten minutes before she did. 

 

Marcus and Diana walked into their house. Marcus pulled off his tuxedo jacket before tossing it onto the couch. His wife without saying a word, started to head up stairs.   
“Diana.”   
She looked down at him from the third step.   
“What is it? I put on quite the show. I’m tired.”   
“Yes, I’m sure you are. I’m going to be moving out. You can have the house, I don’t want it.”   
Her eyes turned almost beady as she glared at him.   
“You’re leaving me?”   
She said it, focusing on the last word. As if no one in the world had the right to leave her.  
“We are miserable, Diana. We don’t even sleep in the same bed.”   
“Is this about sex. Want me to go down on you? You used to like that!”   
He looked at her like she was crazy.   
“No, I don’t want you to touch me. I don’t want a life with you. I need a fresh start.”   
“Oh my God!”   
She came walking back down the stairs.   
“What, Diana?”   
“Have you met someone? Did you?”   
“It’s about the hope of having a relationship where I’m not sleeping alone. Look, Diana, somewhere along the line, I stopped wanting to sleep with you. Not because of the birth control pills all on its own. It was a lot of things about our marriage. I don’t want to work on things, I won’t work on things, but, this is done.”   
Diana ran at him, hitting him, punching him, kicking him. Marcus pushed her away before he disappeared up the stairs, grabbed his suitcase and laptop bag. He packed the things that were of the most importance. He knew his wife well enough to know that she was going to make everything as hard as humanly possible. He could hear her on the phone with someone, she was screaming and telling them how Marcus had upped and left her without another word. Of course, she failed to tell them all the things in their marriage that had brought this on. Marcus opened his door quietly and moved as carefully as possible, skills he had learned on the force. He exited the house after setting the alarm and got in his vehicle and drove to a hotel that was close to work. It was on the nicer side and he was happy that he wouldn’t be staying in some low budget no tell motel.   
Marcus checked in, letting them know that he would be there for about a week. That sometimes would get him a discount.   
He headed into the hotel and breathed a huge sigh of relief. He had been wanting to do this for a long time and now he finally had. It was as if the weight of the world was off of his shoulders.   
He took off the rest of the tuxedo he was wearing, only a bit relieved that he had grabbed the suit jacket before leaving the house. He hung his clothes in the closet, brushed his teeth and even though he told himself that he wouldn’t, he grabbed a beer that was far too expensive from the hotel mini fridge.   
He laid back on the large comfortable bed and fell asleep after downing the beer. 

Abby headed into work and received compliments about her speech the night before. Jackson gave her a cup of coffee as she didn’t bother to stop at her office before starting rounds. There was a lot of patients and she would give each and every one the time they needed. Abby especially liked when the kids asked her questions about their treatment, it was then that she would sit down and sometimes draw pictures to make the answers easier to understand. Today, Marcus was still on her mind, it was hard to push him out while she handled major things at work.   
When Abby was done, she had missed lunch. Jackson was walking with her down the long hall.  
“Raven is bringing you something to eat and she will be on guard duty today. I have to put the supplies away that got delivered late.”  
“Thank you, Jackson. See you later.”   
He walked away as Abby headed into her office for the first time that day. Raven headed in ten minutes later and set the salad and coffee on Abby’s desk before plopping into a chair across from Abby.   
“Have you talked to the Kane lady?”   
Abby’s eyes shot up quickly as she opened up the salad container.   
“What? No, Why?”   
Raven shook her head.   
“I’m not sure why that good-looking stud would have married her. But, anyway he finally got some sense and walked out on her.”   
It took everything that Abby had not to let her mouth fall open.   
“Why? Did she say why?”   
Raven rolled her eyes in an exaggerated manner.   
“Something along the lines of him being completely ungrateful and not being good enough for her.”   
Abby gave a slow nod.   
“Raven, as much as I loathe that Kane lady as you put it. I have to call a fellow doctor to ask for a consultation on a case. Could you excuse me?”   
“Sure thing, Doc. See you later.” 

Abby followed Raven to the door and locked it once the girl was far enough away not to hear the click. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed Marcus quickly.   
“Hey.”   
He sounded so causal.   
“Did you really leave her?”   
Marcus could hear the shock in Abby’s voice.   
“Hang on. Guys, I have to take this, I’ll be right back.”   
Abby heard as he must have moved to a quieter spot, she waited on pins and needles for him to speak again.   
“I should have called and warned you last night. I was going to wait until Thursday but, then I should have known that she was going to cause a scene at the hospital.”   
Abby plopped down in her chair before she spoke in response.   
“I don’t know if she has caused a scene or not. Raven just told me. I’m floored. Why?”   
“I realize how this must look to you, Abby. I do. It’s just that I’ve been miserable for a long time. I didn’t leave because of the kiss or because of how I feel about you. I am well aware that you might not be sure of what you want with me. It’s just that I’ve been sad and lonely. I can’t live with her and feel the way I do when I am around her anymore.”   
That did ease Abby’s mind a bit.   
“Marcus, you didn’t tell her about me?”   
He let out a tiny laugh that was devoid of humor.   
“I wouldn’t have done that to you. Abby, trust me, she would have made your life hell. I wasn’t about to let that happen. The longer that she doesn’t know, the better.”   
“Thank you, Marcus.”   
She heard him let out a sigh before he had started to speak.  
“The thing is, Abby. If this really is something and I hope that it will be, I want to be able to keep you to myself for a while.”   
“Marcus?”   
“Anything, tell me.”   
“I can’t wait to see you.”   
This time she could almost hear him smiling and he was.   
“Abby, I have thought of very little sense I saw you sitting in my kitchen.”   
“Me too. Where are you staying.”   
“The Polis. Room 502 if you ever feel the need to come by. I have an appointment with a lawyer tomorrow to start the divorce. I’m letting her keep the house, the lawyer says that because we never had kids, it should be fairly cut and dry.”   
“How did she take it when you told her, Marcus?”   
“She tried to beat me up.”   
Abby gasped.   
“What?!”  
“Abby, I’m fine.”   
She let out a sigh.   
“I’ll kiss you all better Thursday.”   
He let out a moan.   
“Stop talking like that, woman.”   
She laughed  
“Bye, Marcus.”   
“Bye, babe.” 

To be continued…………


	4. Chapter 4

Diana Sydney Kane was not a woman that most people would mess with and especially when she was mad. Thursday morning, she was on the war path. Abby was in her office, getting ready to do a consultation for a five-year-old with a brain tumor. Dr. Griffin had a routine and that was to sit and meditate before meeting with the family that would surely look at her as if she had special powers. The truth was that Abigail Griffin knew she was no super hero.   
The sound of her office door swinging open shocked her as the door collided with the wall in a resounding thud. The good doctor swung around in her chair. Diana looked as if she had never seen a bad day in her life, she was perfectly groomed and well dressed. The woman strode over to Abby’s desk unapologetic for the scene she had made.   
“Abby, I need you to sign this. Do you really need more supplies already?”   
Diana didn’t bother to hand the paperwork to Abby and instead tossed the clipboard on to the desk. Abby picked up the clipboard to look everything over as Diana walked over to the window and looked out to the park beneath.   
“Is anything wrong, Diana?”   
“I think that son of a bitch is seeing someone.”   
The heart inside Abby’s chest began to speed up, suddenly all the words on the paper in front of her seemed to swim together as she thought of kissing Marcus right here in this office just days ago. A memory that still sent chills through her body.   
“If you weren’t happy, then why does it matter?”   
If Diana caught on to the words that came out all too shaky, she said not a word.   
“It matters because he didn’t even want to try.”   
“Not ever?”   
The truth was that Abby really did want to know the answer to that question. Diana shrugged before pacing back and forth in front of Dr. Griffin’s desk.   
“There was a time he wanted to go to counseling, I was busy, there is so much to do in this hospital. Had I known he was going to act like a despondent woman, I would have just told him to go way back when. There was no warning this time, we hadn’t even been arguing, not even a little bit.”   
Abby gave a slight nod.   
“Had you guys been talking at all?”   
Diana turned and looked Abby right in the eye.   
“See? That is why I think he met someone. Who up and leaves like that unless there is someone else? I’ll find out and he will regret it!.”   
With a nervous hand, Abby signed the paperwork before handing the paperwork back to Diana.   
“Take care.”   
“You too, Griffin. Please don’t tell anyone about this.”   
Abby only gave a curt nod in response.   
It took another ninety-six minutes before Abby sat down for the consultation and was able to handle all questions of both the parents and her young patient. During the family’s tour of the hospital, her mind was only on Marcus, she was desperate to talk to him and waiting until tonight just didn’t make sense. Especially not if Abby’s suspicion was right. 

Marcus was getting a bit nervous when their suspect was sitting in the interrogation room, completely unwilling to budge. They were sure that this was the guy responsible for a series of muggings and beatings in the area. Marcus went outside to get some air before needing to head back in to question the guy for a second time. He heard his cellphone ring and picked it up only to see that it was Diana. Marcus let out a sigh, he might as well bite the bullet and get it over with.   
“Diana?”   
“Are you seeing someone?”   
The look on his face must have been one of pure shock. He let out a deep breath before answering.   
“Diana, even If I was, I fail to see how that is any of your business.”   
He heard her audible gasp.   
“I am still your wife!”   
It was times like these that he had sometimes wished he had picked up the habit of smoking.   
“We both know that we were husband and wife in name only, Diana.”   
“How exactly do you think this is going to end for you, Marcus?”   
He let out a laugh more to himself than to her.   
“Well, if the last few days is any indication, I am guessing that I’ll be downright happy.”   
“You better hope that you aren’t doing something stupid.”   
“Goodbye, Diana.”   
He clicked off, only to hear the phone ring again immediately. Marcus was ready to ignore it until he saw Abby’s name pop up on the screen.   
“Hi, I’ve been thinking about you, Abby.”   
She wanted to let his voice calm her and instead she knew that this wasn’t going to be a leisurely talk.   
“I was thinking about you too, Marcus. Listen, Diana didn’t seem right today.”   
Marcus let his shoulders fall, he half knew what Abby was about to say.   
“I know she thinks that I am seeing someone, listen, I told her it was none of her business if I was or not.”   
“The problem is that she seems hell bent on making you pay if you are seeing someone. Maybe we should wait a few weeks before we see each other, Marcus.”   
And there it was, the thing he was sure that Abby would hit him with. He let out a groan before leaning back against the building.   
“Say something, Marcus.”   
The disappointment was running through him.   
“I don’t know what to say, Abby. I’ve never really begged people for things. Well, you know, except for when I begged you to always love me.”   
He let out a playful laugh, Abby too could recall the memory of them laying on a blanket together in the Fall when he had tickled her and jokingly begged her to love him forever.   
“Marcus, it isn’t that I don’t want to see you. I want to see you. I just want to sit with you and be next to you. I just don’t think that woman is exactly in her right mind. I have a daughter to think about.”   
“I would never let anyone hurt Clarke or you. Listen, I was married to Diana…..”   
“You are still married to her. “   
He heard her say it almost sadly.   
“Yes, Abby, I have already seen a lawyer. Listen to me, my marriage was long done by the time you showed back up in my life.”   
They both stayed quiet for a moment after that. It was Marcus who finally spoke again.   
“If you don’t want to see me, I will respect that.”   
He wasn’t sure that he meant the words. He was already in deep with this woman, just like in high school when he couldn’t go through one whole class without thinking about her. Marcus could hear her breathing and yet, she said nothing in response. He swallowed hard before speaking again a few moments later.   
“Bye, Abby.”   
He clicked off the phone and shoved it back in his pocket before heading back into the precinct. When he had walked out, he had felt like he had hope and now he felt as if it had all been pulled away from him. 

It turned out to be a good thing Abby had cancelled plans with him. It had taken another hour for the suspect to confess, two more hours to come up with a deal and three hours after that to find out just exactly why this guy chose the victims he did and where the loot was stashed.   
The sky had turned dark since the last time Marcus Kane had walked outside. Now, his phone was almost dead as he climbed into truck. For a brief moment, he allowed his head to fall back on the seat before he started his vehicle and headed back to the hotel.   
It was a bit sad being a man that was living in the hotel, everyone knew him now. The maid said ‘Hi Marcus’ and had stopped calling ‘Mr. Kane’ on his own request. The bar knew what kind of drink he enjoyed ordering. The hotel reception area didn’t bother asking if he needed anything anymore, they just waved as he headed to the elevator.   
He wanted to be with Abby, wanted to be in her arms and in her bed. He told himself that ‘it was what it was.’ What could he do? If she didn’t want to do this because she was scared than that was her choice but, damn how he hated it.   
He was tired anyway, he felt like he had to tell himself to take each new step. It had been a long fifteen-hour day, he was in need of a shower and some serious sleep. Earlier today he had imagined showering with Abby after they had finally after years of aching for the other, had finally given in. Marcus let out an angry little huff that almost sounded like a laugh.   
“Serves you right for getting your hopes up.” He let out the words to no one except himself.  
He let himself into his room and locked the door behind him. Tonight, he wouldn’t even opt for the drink. No, tonight he would shower and fall naked into bed. 

It was nearly eleven-thirty when Abby walked out of surgery. She was bone tired. Everything in her ached. Jake had messaged her to tell her that Clarke had fallen asleep with no problem and even sent a picture of their daughter all tucked in bed with a teddy bear wrapped in her arms. Abby smiled and hugged the phone to her chest.   
There were times like tonight when she thought of giving up being a doctor in order to hold on to the little girl that wouldn’t be little that much longer. One day she might be standing in this same office staring at a picture of Clarke in her graduation gown.   
“Abby?”   
She didn’t have to look up to know it was Jackson.   
“I’ll be alright, Jackson.”   
He stepped into her office.   
“There really wasn’t anything you could have done for her.”   
Yet, the doctor shrugged even as she hugged herself with one hand sliding around her neck so that she could massage it.   
“She was only twelve.”   
A slight nod came from Jackson.   
“Yes, she was only twelve and she had a serious injury. Had it only been broken ribs and a punctured spleen you could have handled it, Abby. We knew going into it that she coded twice on the way to the hospital. The car crash was just too much for her.”   
She knew he was right, she had known that the little girl had little chance for survival and yet, Abby being Abby always had to try to save everyone.   
“I see Clarke in every one of those kids.”   
He walked even closer before placing his hands on the desk and looking directly at her.   
“That is why you are able to save so many of them. Please go home and get some rest, you have been here all day.”   
Abby sat down in her desk chair instead.   
“I just need a minute to think.”   
“Cafeteria is closed, but, I am sure that I can scrounge up something for you.”   
He knew she was going to shake her head no a moment before she did it.   
“I think we both know that I wouldn’t eat anyway.”   
“Well, I’m going to head home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”   
“Goodnight and um, Jackson?”   
He turned around to look at her.   
“Yes?”   
“Thank you for being such a good friend.”   
He gave her a sweet smile before he walked out, leaving Abby sitting there. 

Marcus woke up two hours after passing out naked on his hotel bed. He flicked on the light and sat on the edge of the bed. There were sometimes when he was overly tired, like tonight when the bad dreams about cases gone wrong would affect him. He took a long drink of the still cold water on his night stand before he walked to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face.   
When he heard the knock on his hotel room door, he half thought that someone was knocking on the neighbors’ door.   
He double checked the clock and saw that it was past midnight. He set his right hand on the gun safe that could only open for his fingerprints. The light turned green, granting him access, carefully he took out the gun, a nine-millimeter automatic that fit in his hand like a second skin.   
Marcus moved carefully as not to make noise before he reached the plain looking hotel door, he leaned forward without touching it and looked through the peep hole. Even though he was naked, he opened the door quickly with his gun lowered.   
“Abby? What’s wrong?”   
He looked past her and into the hall as he ushered her in with his free hand. Marcus closed and locked the door behind him and then turned to face her. Abby looked him over, he seemed not at all concerned about the fact that he had no clothes on.   
“Am I interrupting something?”   
He stared at her before shaking his head.   
“I don’t fuck around, Abby. No one is here if that is what you think.” Although the words could have been taken rude, he said it so softly that Abby wasn’t at all offended. “What’s wrong, Abby?”   
He moved to the gun safe and put his gun away. She had still yet to speak, to make her feel a bit more comfortable, Marcus walked past her and into the bathroom in order to grab a towel from the rack and wrap it around his waist.   
When he came back into view, he was going to offer her a seat but, she had already sat on the foot of his bed. Marcus sat down next to her without touching her. Suddenly, she looked over at him.   
“This is stupid. I shouldn’t be here.”   
She got up with lighting speed and yet, Marcus was quicker. He pulled her right arm so that she had no choice but to spin around and look at him.   
“Tell me what is going on.”   
She shrugged as her tired face began to break as if she was going to cry.   
“I lost a patient tonight. I don’t know why I came here. I shouldn’t put this on you.”   
“Stop.”   
Although he issued an order, he kept his voice calm as he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly in his arms.   
“Please, Abby, let me help you. Nothing has to happen. I just want to be here for you.”   
She slowly wrapped her arms around him, letting her cheek rest against his bare chest.   
“You must be so tired though, Marcus.”   
He nodded.   
“Yes, I am. But, you know what, Abby? A lot of couples hold each other as they fall asleep. So, stay with me.”   
The bed did look inviting and she was so exhausted.   
“I want to make love with you, Marcus.”   
“I want that too, but, not tonight, not when you lost a patient.”   
He held her face in his hands as he gazed at her.   
“I’ve waited too long for this, Abby. I’ve waited too long to hold you against me to do it when you are feeling so sad. So, tonight, let me just hold you.”   
He kissed the tears from her face before he undressed her down to her bra and panties and then pulled back the covers on the side that hadn’t been slept in so that she could lay down. Marcus kissed her gently before Abby laid her head on his chest while Marcus let his fingers slide over her lower back. He listened to the sound of her breathing, not talking unless she did.   
“Thank you, Marcus.”   
“I’d give you anything, Abby.”   
She laid a kiss to the middle of his chest.   
“I always knew that, Marcus. Always.”   
With that she drifted off to sleep, Marcus wasn’t far behind her. 

To be continued……


	5. Chapter 5

Marcus woke, still laying behind Abby as he held her. Slowly, he let go of her and rolled onto his back. He let out a deep breath as he stared up at the ceiling while he placed the heels of his hands into the sockets of his eyes.   
“Why’d you let go?”   
He felt startled to hear her.   
“I didn’t mean to wake you.”   
“I’ve been awake for the last hour, Marcus. Why’d did you let go?”   
“If you’ve been awake for the last hour, then you know that I am only a man after all.”   
She smiled against her pillow, she had felt his need for her pressed against her buttocks before he had rolled away from her.   
“I’m proud of you, Marcus. You didn’t even cop a feel.”   
He let out a groan.   
“Stop, Abby. I’m not nearly worthy of the credit you are giving me.”   
“Does that mean you took advantage of me during the night?”   
She was trying desperately to hide a giggle as she said it.   
He let out his own laugh.   
“No.”   
“That’s too bad.”   
“You aren’t helping, Abby.”   
She rolled over and placed her head on his bare chest.   
“I wasn’t exactly trying to help.”   
Abby placed an open mouth kiss to his chest as her hand slipped beneath the sheet.   
“I thought we agreed we wouldn’t sleep together yet.”   
“It’s only my hand, Marcus.”   
Her fingers pulled the towel away from his body.   
“Abby, you don’t need to do this.”   
“I want to do this.”   
He moaned when she sucked one of his nipples into her mouth as her hand moved over his full erection. Marcus allowed his eyes to roll back in his head as his eyes fell shut. Abby smiled against him at the sound of her name falling from his lips.   
“I’m not going to last long, it’s been a long time, Abby.”   
In response she allowed her thumb to run over the head of him and run the warm liquid down his shaft causing his hips to arch off the bed. Her lips continued to drag over his chest as one of his hands gently cupped the back of her head.   
“I’ve wanted to taste your skin since I first saw you again, Marcus.”   
She tightened her grip on him as her lips found his. He moaned into her kiss as her hand moved a bit faster. His breathing hitched as his kisses back to her got sloppy as his head fell back and he lost contact with her mouth. Abby watched him, the sight of him doing so much to turn her on. Her name began to fall from his lips at a faster rate.   
“You don’t have to hold on, Marcus.”   
A loud throaty groan escaped him as his hands came up to cup her face in order to bring her forehead to his.   
“Abby……..”   
His eyes met hers briefly before he closed them before swallowing hard as he kept her against him.   
“Abby………I’m………..”   
In the end, he couldn’t finish the words he had begun. Abby felt it when he let go. She kissed his lips in response. He felt her smile against him as his entire body seemed to come down from the high.   
“I really had been trying to be a gentleman, Abby.”   
“After three years of waiting for me in high school, you deserve much more than that, Marcus.”   
He lifted his head so that he could capture her lips with his own.   
“I’d really like to take care of you too, Abby.”   
She let out a soft hum against him as she enjoyed his lips against her own.   
“That would be a great start to the morning.”   
Marcus rolled her onto her back before he let his eyes move over her still bra covered breasts. Abby leaned up and reached behind her to unclasp the garment. She watched his response to seeing the material fall away from her body. She was sure that he would lower his head immediately and instead he leaned in close and kissed her lips softly.   
“You’re more beautiful that I ever hoped for, Abby.”   
Her hands slipped into his hair as her chest arched up and met his. He allowed one hand to slip between them as he cupped her right breast, slowly moving his strong hand over her as his thumb tweaked her nipple.   
Marcus smiled against her lips when she moaned as one of her hands gripped his back. Carefully and methodically he dragged his mouth away from her mouth and along her jaw, dropping small kisses until he found her ear.   
“I have dreamt of touching you too many times to count and still you are more than I ever dreamed. I’m trying not to terrify you with my feelings, Abby. You must know how desperate I am when It comes to you.”   
“I’m not afraid……..”   
He dragged his teeth along her neck, enjoying the way she moaned as her chest arched up, aching for him to give her more friction. Marcus licked, nipped, and sucked at her skin, down her neck and over her collarbone as her moans grew louder.   
“Please….”   
When his mouth reached her breast, he paused momentarily to gaze at her body.   
“Marcus……..”   
“You’re so beautiful.”   
And with that he sucked the nipple he had brought to a peak with his hand into his mouth. Her hand fisted into his hair. He swirled his tongue around the tautness of her nipple, he enjoyed the scent and taste of her skin, something unique to only her. He massaged and reshaped her breast as tasted her. One of her hands were splayed over his back, desperate to hold him against her. He enjoyed the way it made him feel as if she needed him as much as he needed her.   
Somehow Abby knew that Marcus would be a tender lover, a man who would take his time with her. He proved that when he didn’t rush and instead moved his lips across her skin and to her other breast. His body was against her, she hadn’t realized just how much she had missed the feel of a body against hers and yet nothing could have prepared her for just how wonderful it felt to have the body heat of Marcus Kane against her. Marcus pulled his name from her lips again and again as his right hand slowly moved down her side and over the roundness of her hip. When he moved his fingers over her thigh and between her legs, she momentarily held her breath as she anticipated his touch where she so achingly bad wanted to feel him.   
He pulled his lips away from her nipple and once again captured her lips with his as his hand stayed still on her inner thigh as he kissed her until neither one of them could breath properly. Marcus laid his forehead against hers as his hand slowly spread her legs apart, she gasped as his fingers gently moved through her folds. He watched as her mouth fell open and her eyes closed. A loud moan escaped her when he ran a finger over her swollen clit. He touched it all too briefly but, then made up for it by pushing a finger inside her. Marcus would have been lying if he had said he wasn’t completely turned on by just how wet she was when his fingers found her.   
“Marcus……..”   
His eyes stayed on her face, memorizing every look and wanting to be able to recall how he made her make every sound.   
As his finger moved slowly in and out of her, his thumb ran over this clit that seemed to be growing tighter beneath his touch. Abby held on to him tighter, her hands splayed over his shoulder blades.   
He watched as she dragged her lower lip through her teeth and then watched as she gripped her lip a second time and held on to it firmly. He kissed her lower lip as he whispered to her.   
“I want to hear you, Abby.”   
With that she let go of her bottom lip as she began to writhe beneath him as he kept his eyes on her. Her hips began to move faster as he listened to the sounds of her bounce off the walls around them. Marcus pushed in a second finger inside and Abby’s back arched off the bed.   
“I’m so close.”   
He smiled as he watched her.   
“I want to feel you cum, Abby. I’ve waited so long to hear you.”   
Marcus felt it when her nails began to dig into his back, making him moan his own pleasure as he pushed his fingers into her faster as his thumb ran over her at a faster rate.   
“Marcus……..Marcus…..”   
He felt the liquid of her rush over his hand as she came hard while his name poured from her lips. Her body shot up against him before she collapsed back on the bed. Marcus kissed her cheek before once again kissing her ear.   
“You’re perfect, Abby.”   
“Can’t we stay in bed all day?”   
He smiled against her.   
“You said you had rounds today.”   
“What are you? A cop? You going to arrest me if I don’t go in?”   
He laughed against her.   
“Don’t make me think of you in handcuffs, Abby. I’m having enough trouble trying to keep from sliding between your legs right now.”   
“Maybe I want you too.”   
He shook his head against her.   
“No maybes, Abby. When it happens, it will be because we both know it is the right time.”   
Abby cupped his face in her hands.   
“You’re the last man that I’m ever going to love, Marcus Kane.”   
“And I’ll make sure that I deserve that devotion, Abby. I love you.”   
He kissed her then, only pulling away when he was sure he would have to make love to her then and there if he didn’t stop. 

 

Later after showering, they stood together by his hotel room door his hands on her hips while hers were on his shoulder.   
“When can I see you again, Abby?”   
“Can you come tonight after work?”   
He smiled at her.   
“As if you even have to ask. I can’t wait to see you.”   
She gave him a smile that he knew would only always be meant just for him.   
“You’ll call me when you are on your way?”   
“Yes, I’ll have you open up your garage.”   
She nodded.   
“I hope that Diana isn’t watching.”   
“We have nothing to be sorry for, Abby. I have every right to feel the way that I do right now. I love you.”   
She ran one hand over his cheek.   
“I love you too.” 

Abby left first only after being thoroughly kissed by Marcus. She headed right to the hospital and changed into scrubs once she was there. Abby wanted to do her rounds, take care of paperwork and head home as quickly as possible and hopefully not run into Diana during her workday.   
Thoughts of Marcus seemed to fill all of her moments. She couldn’t wait to be back in his arms.   
The events from the day before came back with a vengeance as Abby had to write up a report about it. 

Marcus had three missed calls from Diana when he turned his cellphone back on. He didn’t bother to listen to the messages or to call her back. He knew without talking to her that she wanted him to come back home. After feeling what he had with Abby earlier that morning, he never even thought about going back to a marriage where that kind of intimacy had never been felt.   
He was looking forward to the divorce being final. He only wanted to start a life and he wanted that life with Abby and her daughter. 

As the sun began to set, Marcus began to pay attention to the time. He was almost out of work for the day. He smiled when he heard his phone ‘bing’ alerting him that he had a text message and that it was from Abby.   
‘I’m home. I can’t wait to see you. I’ve thought of very little else all-day long.’   
‘Abby, will you think less of me if I can’t be a gentleman?’   
She laughed when she read his message.   
‘Marcus, I want you. I’m not doubting it, I’m not going to second guess it. I want to know what it is like to make love to you.’   
‘I think I lost my breath reading that message, Abby. Do you have any idea how much I want you?’   
‘Only half as much as I want you.’   
‘Damn it, woman. I’ll be there soon, baby.’   
‘I’m hoping in the shower. Text when you are on your way.’ 

Abby was putting on lotion and perfume when her phone buzzed.   
‘I’m on my way.’   
‘Opening up the garage.’ 

Abby slipped on a gray sweater dress before walking barefoot to the back door that led to the garage and opened the garage and stood waiting for Marcus to come around the corner. She heard his truck before she saw him. Abby found that she couldn’t stop smiling when she was him come into view. Marcus pulled into the garage as Abby immediately pushed the button shutting the garage door behind him.   
His eyes were glued to hers as he climbed out of the truck. Immediately he pushed the door closed and moved towards her.   
“Damn woman, you look so sexy.”   
He closed the distance between them as he slipped one arm around her waist and lowered his head so that he could kiss her.   
“Marcus, get me in that house.”   
He moved his hands into her hair as his eyes ran over her face.   
“Are you sure about this, Abby?”   
Her eyes shined as she looked up at him.   
“Desperately so.”   
He let out a groan as he picked her up and brought her body closer to his. Abby caught his lips with her own.   
“I’ve waited a long time for this, Abby.”   
“Then you better hurry.”   
A smile broke out across his face.   
“Oh girl, I am taking my time with you tonight.”   
“I like that kind of promise, Marcus.”   
He carried her into the house while Abby had her legs securely around his waist. Marcus sat down on the recliner before he reached up and cupped her face.   
“You are still the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my life.”   
“And you’re still the boy I can’t stop thinking about.”   
“It’s a shame you look so great in this sweater dress, Abby?”   
“Why is that?”   
He gave a small shake of his head before speaking.   
“Because it is about to end up on the floor.”   
Abby laughed.   
“As corny as that line was, it completely turned me on.”   
She leaned forward and kissed the smile from his face as she ran her hands through the sides of his hair. Marcus allowed his hands to drop to her upper thighs, letting his hands squeeze her.   
“I used to imagine you like this, Marcus. All those years ago when I wanted to touch you and I was just so afraid too.”   
“What did you imagine, Abby?”   
“You coming completely undone while you allowed me to have control.”   
She felt his lips curl into a smile beneath her own lips.   
“Do you want to have control of me, Abby? Cause’ I have to tell you, you have complete control over me.”   
“I want to know that I’m the only woman you want.”   
Marcus leaned back and stared at her.   
“Baby, I don’t want anyone or anything the way I want and need you.”   
“Then make love to me, Marcus.”   
Quickly he moved his hands beneath the dress and pulled it up and over her head revealing nothing beneath it.   
“Damn it, Abby. You’re the sexiest vision I’ve ever seen.”   
“Prove it.”   
With that he kissed her until she couldn’t breathe. 

To be continued……………………………………


	6. Chapter 6

He carried her into the house while Abby had her legs securely around his waist. Marcus sat down on the recliner before he reached up and cupped her face.   
“You are still the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my life.”   
“And you’re still the boy I can’t stop thinking about.”   
“It’s a shame you look so great in this sweater dress, Abby.”   
“Why is that?”   
He gave a small shake of his head before speaking.   
“Because it is about to end up on the floor.”   
Abby laughed.   
“As corny as that line was, it completely turned me on.”   
She leaned forward and kissed the smile from his face as she ran her hands through the sides of his hair. Marcus allowed his hands to drop to her upper thighs, squeezing her.   
“I used to imagine you like this, Marcus. All those years ago when I wanted to touch you and I was just so afraid too.”   
“What did you imagine, Abby?”   
“You coming completely undone while you allowed me to have control.”   
She felt his lips curl into a smile beneath her own lips.   
“Do you want to have control of me, Abby? Cause’ I have to tell you, you have always had complete control over me.”   
“I want to know that I’m the only woman you want.”   
Marcus leaned back and stared at her.   
“Baby, I don’t want anyone or anything the way I want and need you.”   
“Then make love to me, Marcus.”   
Quickly he moved his hands beneath the dress and pulled it up and over her head revealing nothing beneath it.   
“Damn it, Abby. You’re the sexiest vision I’ve ever seen.”   
“Prove it.”   
With that he kissed her until she couldn’t breathe.  
Marcus carefully lowered Abby to the floor, her legs still securely around him.   
“I’ve wanted you for such a long time.” He said it in a mere whisper.   
Abby only moaned in response as she pulled his shirt from his body. He buried his face into the crook of her neck and then stilled.   
“Marcus?” She slowly moved her nails over his bare back as she waited for him to respond.   
When he answered, his words seemed to be broken with emotion.   
“I’ve never forgotten you, Abby. I tried too, in fact there was a time that I even tried to convince myself to hate you. How could I though? How could I hate the one person who made me feel all the things that you made me feel? I loved you then and I love you now.”   
She felt the emotion rise up with each word that he had spoken.   
“I love you, Marcus, I love you. There are times when I wish I could go back to the way we were back in high school. You know, back before I let everything get in the way. I wish I had fought to make us work, that we could have shared a life, children and dreams. I realize what a fool I was, but, I’m here now, Marcus and I want you.”   
He leaned back so that he could look down at her as the knuckles of his right hand grazed her cheek. With that, nothing more needed to be said. Instead he leaned down and let his lips meet hers. They kissed softly and slowly at first, until the hungry need took them both over as the kiss turned into something of two starving people craving the other.   
In all the dreams that Marcus had had about this moment, he had always taken his time with her. Yet, reality was always so different then fantasies. Now, the feel of her hands was so very real and just the slightest touch from the woman beneath him threatened to send him crashing over the edge.   
Marcus tugged at his belt buckle, Abby could hear the sounds of his zipper being pulled down. In the end his pants never came completely off, he merely only yanked them down far enough to free himself.   
He pushed himself into her, both of them insistent on their bodies being together.   
She pulled on his back, her nails digging into his flesh as she arched her back as his name came tumbling from her lips.   
In all the fantasies they had taken it slow, yet, now he bucked his hips over and over as he filled her. Marcus groaned as he tried desperately to keep from exploding into her. This was a moment of years of pent up passion, and finally they were dealing with this need that had been with them for far too long.   
Abby could hear his breathing, the way it hitched and the husky moans that started deep in his chest as he tried to hang on.   
She felt the feeling of her orgasm begin to build, everything seemed to begin to go dark as the intense pleasure first begin to build somewhere in her lower back and move upward. Somehow the man deep within her seemed to know as he slid one hand to the small of her back and hold her in place as he pulled out and then sank back into her.   
He watched her, this too he had thought about thousands of time. Yet, the reality was so much better than all the ways he had imagined that he could make her cum. Abby dropped one hand from her back and pushed it into her hair as if she had to hold herself in place. Marcus seemed to be holding his breath as he watched the way the tip of her tongue came out and landed against the middle of her upper lip, a deep moan escaped her as he felt the wetness of her overtake him as she gave into the orgasm that seemed to rock her completely. With that, Marcus buried his face into her neck as he rocked against her one last time before letting the intensity of her break him.   
Marcus allowed himself to rest against her as Abby let one of her hands run through his hair as their breathing came back to normal. 

Later, they laid together on her bed, cuddled beneath the blankets. Abby had her head on his chest, he let his fingertips slide up and down her back while his other hand was intertwined with hers.   
“Abby?”   
“Hmmm?”   
He could tell that the woman next to him sounded drowsy.   
“I want to marry you.”  
He heard her intake of breath. Marcus sat up, gently pushing her on to her back as he looked down at her. He smiled at the look of her wide, shocked eyes.   
“You want to marry me?”   
Instead of answering at first, he smiled a broad smile.   
“I wanted to marry you the second I was out of high school. I had purchased the ring and everything, a tiny little thing, it wasn’t even all that great of a ring…..”   
Abby cut him off.  
“But, it would have been our engagement ring and that alone makes it perfect.”   
He nodded “That is what made it so perfect.”  
“Where is that ring now?”   
He shrugged as a look of sadness crossed his face.   
“I threw it over the bridge, where I was going to propose.”   
Abby cupped his face in her hands.   
“I’ll marry you, Marcus. I’m so sorry you didn’t get to propose the way that you wanted too.”   
“It was a long time ago.”   
She gave him a small sad smile.   
“And yet, it feels like yesterday. Marcus?”   
“Hmmm?”   
“Make love to me.”   
He gave her grin before he kissed her, this time determined to take his time with the woman under him. Marcus took her hands in his and placed them over her head as he deepened the kiss. His body resting against hers as she wrapped her legs around his naked body.   
“Not so fast, Abby.”   
She groaned in response as his lips moved down to her neck, nipping and sucking on her skin. The chills ran through Abby in the most delicious way. Marcus was determined to ignore the fact that he was already hardening against her. Instead he allowed his lips to moved down to her breasts as he took one of the peaks into his mouth, lavishing attention on each one as he let go of her hands and began to let his fingers run over her body.   
Abby moved against him, her hips lifting up and hoping to meet his. He braced his hands on either side of her so that he could hold his pelvis just out of reach, not allowing her to have friction, not just yet, no matter how much he had wanted to give into her. The feel of his lips dragging over her rib cage as one hand came up to gently squeeze her breast forced moans out of Abby that threatened to break Marcus’s reserve. No longer were Abby’s hands over her head, instead they were in his hair as she begged him with her body and her words to give into her.   
Yet, there was so much that he had wanted to do to her. Marcus had wanted to taste Abby for so long that now that he was so close, he found himself licking his lips even as he dragged his mouth down to her abdomen. Marcus gripped her hips as he laid a deep, hot, open mouth kiss just below her belly button which caused her hips to try to come off the bed.   
The sound of her deep and pleasure filled moans seemed to take up residence inside of him. He slid one hand to her upper thigh and squeezed, he repeated the process with his other hand as Marcus slowly pulled her legs apart. He allowed his thumb to move through her folds, just enough pressure for his name to fall from her lips and yet, not enough to cause the kind of friction that she was aching for.   
“Do you have any idea how badly I’ve wanted to taste you, Abby?”   
Yet, she couldn’t make sense of words. Abby only moaned with a desperate need as his mouth found the inside of her thigh. He sucked, hard and listened as a guttural moan escaped her. With that he repeated the same hard kiss on her other thigh.   
Finally, words seemed to find her again.   
“Please……………”   
It was all that she could get out.   
Marcus took his thumb and forefinger and spread her lips apart as he dragged his nose through her folds, being sure to press against her clit. Abby gripped the sheets beneath her, as if that alone would be enough to keep her grounded. Yet, deep inside she knew that it wouldn’t be. Not when Marcus Kane had complete and utter control of her.   
Marcus had fantasized about taking his time and this time he was doing just that. He was slow and methodic as he pushed one finger into her as his tongue moved over her. She could hear his moans, which turned her on just as much as his mouth.   
Already she could feel herself moving close to the edge.   
“Mar…….”   
In the end, she couldn’t finish his name, if she thought that he was going to let her fall apart that easily, she was out of her mind. Instead he slowed his movements until her breathing slowed just a bit.   
“Why?”   
She said it even as her hips moved up in search of his mouth again.   
“I want your orgasm to be worked for.”   
“It will be.”   
“I’m not done tasting you yet.”   
His words alone were enough to make another moan escape her lips. This time when he took the swollen part of her into his mouth, he knew that he was going to let her fall right off the edge. He let his finger and tongue work in tandem, so she would feel the heat rise up inside of her.   
This time when the orgasm pushed through her, she yelled his name over and over again even as she had to fight through her own breathlessness.   
Marcus was completely hard and needed to be back inside of her. He didn’t waste time as her orgasm ended before he moved back up her body as he pulled one of her legs over his waist. He pushed inside the wetness of her as they both moaned loudly. Abby was still catching her breath from the last orgasm as Marcus laid his forehead against hers.   
“This is so good with you.”   
The words barely escaped her. He wanted to respond with his words and yet, it was his body that would have to speak for him. With that he slammed into her as she requested it of him. Marcus slid one hand beneath her, his hand holding her ass firmly as the sounds of their bodies hitting against one another bounced off the walls.   
When Abby slid her hand between them, Marcus groaned as he almost gave into the feeling that was building inside of him. She exploded and then held his face in her hands as she watched him topple over the edge. 

They fell asleep against one another, cuddled up as the rain began to fall outside all over again. 

Marcus woke up first, carefully he slid from the bed and headed to the shower. It felt good to let the hot water fall over him. He lowered his head and let the water cascade down his neck. Last night had been more than perfect. In fact, he wanted nothing more than to eat breakfast, have some coffee and then lay his head against Abby’s chest and fall back to sleep. It had been along time since he felt anything like that.   
“Good morning.”   
He smiled at the sound of her musical tone, a smile crossing his face when he heard the sound of her voice.   
“Good morning to you.”   
She stepped into the shower with him and walked straight into his arms, not caring that he was covered in soap.   
“I already don’t like waking up without you beside me.”   
He smiled as he kissed the top of her head.   
“Well, one day we will be married and that won’t be a problem.”   
She kissed his wet chest before leaning her cheek back against him.   
“Let’s not wait too long.”   
“I promise, Abby.”   
“Do you realize how late we slept?”   
“I don’t care. Let’s just stay like this today.”   
She smiled up at him.   
“You want to stay in bed all day?”   
He nodded, a smile crossing his lips.   
“More than anything.”   
“Well, I think I can take a day.”   
He gave a her a sweet gentle kiss.   
“Abby, one thing though.”   
“Anything.”   
“I need some food.”   
She laughed.   
“I need food and coffee. Let me shower and then I’ll make us something.” 

They stole kisses while they washed one another. Marcus would kiss her neck or simply hold her. Both Marcus and Abby had gone so long being alone, that this moment was also about comfort of just being together. 

Marcus started coffee while Abby changed the sheets. He started the bacon while she made the eggs. They would tell each other that they loved each other with whispers, as if they said it too loud, the other would suddenly disappear.   
They ate together at the small table, laughing as they talked about old memories. Even now, she could easily picture Marcus in his high school jacket and he could easily recall how it felt to kiss her for the first time. 

They went back to her room and slid beneath the covers. The blinds were drawn, the lights were off as outside the rain came down. It helped that the room was dark and inviting. They held each other, getting to know one another.   
When they made love again, it was sweet and slow. Their eyes on each other as their climaxes came in a completely different way as they told one another that they loved each other. 

This time when they fell asleep, Marcus drifted off with his head on her chest. Abby welcomed the way it felt to hold him as she drifted into the darkness of sleep. 

Her cellphone ringing later is what woke them both up. Jake’s name appeared across the screen. 

“Abby?”   
“What is going on Jake?”   
“Clarke isn’t here. Did you pick her up?”   
“No!”   
She sat up quickly in bed, Marcus sitting up with her as he became instantly concerned.   
“Abby, you need to get down here.”   
Marcus and Abby no longer were concerned about keeping themselves a secret as they hurdled towards the school in Marcus’s truck.   
He had already called the precinct to say that he knew about the missing girl, let Jaha know that he was dating the mother and that he was on his way to the school.   
Jake was able to deduce pretty quickly that Abby and Marcus had a thing, it didn’t matter to him, not when his child was missing.   
He embraced Abby when he saw her, then he took her gently by the shoulders as he leaned down so that they were eye to eye.   
“Abby, I will find our baby.”   
As tears filled her eyes she nodded.   
“Have you argued with anyone, Abby? A disgruntled parent from the hospital?”   
Marcus stood in the room, listening to the questions he had asked her himself.   
“No.”   
And then suddenly, Marcus spoke.   
“Diana? We need to get a location on Diana!”   
Abby and Marcus stared at one another as the realization hit them. What if Diana had her little girl? 

To be continued…………..


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps, you should have some tissues.......

“Put on the damn vest, Marcus!”   
They stood staring at one another, anyone who would have been watching Marcus and Abby would have know that there was a lot of love between these two people. He reached out for her, holding on to her upper arms as he took a step closer to her.   
“Abby, listen to me. If I put on the vest, Diana will know that I’m believing that she will hurt me. I can’t do anything that would hinder me getting Clarke back to you. Look at me.”   
Her head had been cast down, staring at the dirt between her feet.   
“What if you don’t come back to me?” With that she looked up at him, the tears shining in her eyes.   
“I will do everything I can to get back to you.” He cupped her face in his hands.   
She looked over at the vest lying on the tailgate of the FBI truck.   
“You really think she is here?”   
He nodded slowly. “I do. It is where I first told her that I loved her.”   
“Marcus, I love you.”   
He gave her a small smile. “I love you, baby.”   
With that he pulled her into a tight hug, his mind racing with things that he didn’t dare say. He let go of her slowly. “I’ll bring your daughter back to you.”   
With that she watched him as he turned and walked away from her. FBI agents telling him something that she couldn’t hear as he began to make his way up the dirt trail, towards the old bridge that was out of sight. 

Abby paced back and forth, Jake tried to do what he could to calm her.   
“Marcus is one of the best detectives on the force.”   
She stopped pacing and turned to look at her ex.   
“The two people that I love most in the world are going to be alone with a mad woman. I don’t want to lose either one of them. I just got Marcus back, what if our love story ends after less than twenty-four hours? Life feels so unfair after a day where it seemed like I had everything that I ever wanted.”   
“Listen to me, I have seen Marcus talk a man down off a ledge. I’ve seen him talk a teenager out of shooting his abuser. There is no doubt in my mind that he can bring Clarke back to us.”   
“Pray for both of them, Jake. I can’t think of anything else to do other than pray.”   
With that, he took both of her hands in his. Slowly he began to pray for both the safety of their daughter and the man that Abby had moved on with. 

Marcus stopped a few feet from the entrance to the bridge and lifted his own prayer up to God. He prayed that he could get Clarke back to her mother and then he prayed that if he didn’t make it back that Abby would be alright without him. Then slowly, he stepped on to the bridge as the water rushed beneath it. The recent heavy rains had caused more than a normal amount of water to flow through the river.   
“I knew you would figure it out.”   
Diana came into view, the little girl next to her.   
“I want my mommy.”   
Yet, the woman holding the little girls hand paid no attention to the words. Marcus however smiled at the child.   
“Clarke, are you alright?”   
The blue eyes swept over to Marcus.   
“I need my mommy.”   
He nodded at her.   
“And she wants to see you too.”   
“Don’t talk to her, Marcus. You are here to talk to me.”   
“Right, I am. Tell me what to do, Diana.”   
“Why her? Why Abby?”   
“Does any of that really matter?”   
“I just don’t get it. Weren’t we happy once? Remember when you loved me?”   
“Yes, I do remember.”   
“You just left me for her.”   
“You are very smart to realize that I was with her. How did you figure it out?”   
Marcus could feel his heart beating wildly, the nervous sweat beginning to run down his back.   
“I followed you last night. For a detective, you very rarely ever change your route. I found out the hotel you were staying at. Imagine my surprise though when you didn’t head down Quantico road, no, instead I saw when you turned down Eucalyptus. Not that I spent too much time hanging out with your girlfriend, but, I knew when you turned a few streets from hers that it was where you were headed. It couldn’t have been the first time you spent the night there. You pulled into her garage as if you had done that same move a hundred times before. Had you stayed there before?”   
He shook his head. “I took her home that night you asked me too. Last night was the first time.”   
“Your lying!”   
Diana reached behind her so quickly and pulled the gun before holding it out toward him.   
The little girl began to cry as she tried to get her small hand out of Diana’s grip.   
“Diana, I’m not lying. Please let her go.”   
“Let go of a child’s hand while we are standing on a bridge? That seems reckless, Marcus.”   
“What is it that you want me to do?”   
“I want to know why I wasn’t good enough!”   
“You weren’t happy in our marriage and neither was I.”   
“I’m not the one who filed for divorce, that was you.”   
“You deserve someone that will love you completely, Diana. We both know that I am not the man who can do that. How is taking Abby’s daughter going to get you what you want?”   
“You’re a smart man, Marcus, I am sure that you can figure it out.”   
“You’ve always been the wise one, Diana. I’m hoping you can just tell me how I can help you.”   
Diana kept the gun pointed at him, her entire body shaking.   
“Don’t you think that Abby has to pay for stealing my husband?”   
Marcus took a deep breath before he began to speak.   
“She didn’t steal me and you know it. You had stopped loving me a long time before I had ever left. You know that what I am saying is true.”   
“Are you defending her? Seriously? The woman that walked into my home and stole my husband? You can’t be for real.”   
“Punish me, not Abby and certainly not her little girl.”   
“Why don’t you love me?!”   
Clarke began to whimper as Diana’s words vibrated through the bridge. Marcus wanted to run to Abby’s daughter and gather her up in his arms in order to comfort her and protect her.   
“I do love you! I do, Diana!”   
“You do?”   
Now it was him that was shaking as he stared at the woman that he once loved. He had always sworn that he would never lie to a woman and say words of love. Yet, now he had to protect the child that Abby loved more than anything.   
“I didn’t think we could make it work anymore. You broke my heart, Diana. I just had to feel important again.”   
Diana cocked her head and stared at him, as if she was trying to figure out whether or not she could believe him.   
“Diana, you have to believe me. Don’t you recall how it was for us in the beginning? I just wanted to feel that way again.”   
Her eyes began to fill with tears as she stared at him. He knew that he had her on the brink of believing him.   
“I remember the night we came to this very bridge, Diana. So, of course I knew you would come here if you really were thinking of our relationship. I was relieved to find you here because it meant that you still loved me. You do, don’t you?”   
“Yes, of course I do.”   
“Then we should go home and start over.”   
“You want to start over?”   
“Yes, you are still my wife.”   
“But, you filed for divorce.”   
“I was an idiot. I wasn’t thinking logically, I was only acting out because I was so hurt and so angry.”   
“Really? You really want to go home with me? You’ll move back in?”   
“I never even unpacked. We can have the rest of our lives together. All you have to do is let Clarke go and then we can go back to the life that we deserve.”   
Diana began to shake her head.   
“I cannot give her back. If I give her back then I will go to jail. You have to help me hide her.”   
“You go to the car and I’ll hide her.”   
The woman looked at the whimpering little girl and then across at Marcus.   
“You would do that? You would hide her?”   
“What makes you think that I wouldn’t do that? I’m going to do everything humanly possible to protect you from now on, Diana.”   
“I don’t know. I’m not sure. What if you are messing with me?”   
This time it was him that cocked his head at her.   
“Oh….I thought we were going to work on everything but, if you aren’t going to trust me…….”   
He shook his head a bit dramatically, knowing that it would knock Diana off her game a little bit.   
“Did you sleep with her, Marcus?”   
He made a face that looked a bit disgusted.   
“Of course not. I wasn’t ready to move on that way, not just yet. I told her that I needed more time.”   
“Then why were you at her house all night long?”   
“Did you sit outside her house all night long because you were concerned about me?”   
“I left at midnight.”   
He nodded and shrugged, trying to buy more time.   
“I left about one. We just talked, mostly about old times.”   
“So, you didn’t sleep with her?”   
“How could I ever be with someone else? You are the only woman that could ever turn me on. Listen, if you just let me hide Clarke then we can move forward.”   
“I want to believe you, Marcus.”   
“And I want you to be the kind of wife that believes her husband when he talks. You know what I think?”   
Suddenly, she looked puzzled.   
“What?”   
“We should renew our vows, I mean after everything we have been through. Don’t you think? Where would you want to get remarried at? I remember that you said that you wanted to go to Hawaii or the Caribbean. Now, we can do that. We can book our tickets tonight when we get home.”   
She smiled brightly across at him.   
“You’ll have to propose again, Marcus.”   
He nodded slowly.   
“I will, I will do that.”   
He got down on one knee on the bridge. Marcus tried not to look at the little girl, knowing that if he did, Diana would catch on that his only intention was to save the tiny girl.   
“Marry me, Diana. Say that you will be mine forever.”   
She smiled brightly.   
“I’ll marry you on one condition.”   
“Anything, just tell me how to make you mine again.”   
“Kill her. Prove to me you love me by killing Abby’s daughter.”   
“Ok, I’ll do it. Give me the gun and head back. I’ll take care of her and then I will meet you at the car.”   
Marcus was still on his knee as the little girl began to beg for her life. His eyes flashed towards Abby’s daughter, his heart breaking for her because of the fear she must have been in.   
“Just promise me that you aren’t lying.”   
“I’m not.”   
“I’ll kill her and then you hide her.”   
He stood up far too quickly, Diana’s eyes seemed to change as she watched him.   
“Oh my God! You’ve been lying to me, haven’t you?”   
“I love you, Diana. Don’t doubt our love now.”   
“Then you are alright if I kill her?”   
“I want to do it. Abby deceived me, fooled me! Let me be the one to take her future from her.”   
Diana shook her head.   
“You are lying! You’re lying to me, Marcus!”   
“If you let me kill her, the man Abby loves, it will destroy her.”   
“I don’t believe you mean it, Marcus.”   
All too quickly, she pointed the gun at Clarke who began to scream.   
“Stop! Diana, please don’t!”   
“Why should I listen to you? I know you are lying, Marcus.”   
“I’m not! I love you.”   
“Then you won’t have a problem with me killing her so that we can move on with our lives.”   
“Take me! Let her go and take my life instead.”   
“You would do that?”   
“Yes, you let the girl go and you can take me. Abby told me that she is in love with me. She said that she wanted to have kids with me even when I told her that I still believed that you, Diana, are my future. So, Please, take me instead.”   
Diana let go of the little girls’ hand. Clarke ran to Marcus who knelt down to look into her face.  
“Follow the dirt path, your daddy will be waiting for you. Can you do me a big girl favor?”   
She shook her head. Marcus leaned forward and kissed her forehead.   
“That kiss is for your mom, will you give it to her for me?”   
“Yes.”   
“Here is my phone. Hit this green button when you leave the bridge. Your daddy will know you are on your way.”   
He hugged her tightly before letting go.   
“It was nice to have met you, Clarke.”   
“You too.”   
He watched her as she walked away. Clarke heard the words the mean lady said to the nice man before she ran down the trail.

Abby was waiting on pins and needles when Jake emerged from the trail with Clarke in his arms. He put down his daughter who ran towards her mother and then jumped in her arms. Abby picked her up and hugged her tightly.   
“Are you ok, baby?”   
“Yes, the nice man saved me.”   
“Honey, where is he?”   
“Oh, he told me to give you this.”   
With that, Clarke leaned forward and kissed her mom on the forehead. Abby began to cry as she tried to hold on to her composure, it was clear that she was losing that fight.   
“Honey, where is the nice man?”   
“The mean lady said that he had to jump.”   
Abby felt like someone had socked her in the chest. She handed Clarke to Jake before she began running up the trail. She could hear people yelling at her as they ran after her. 

Neither Diana or Marcus were on the bridge. Abby looked over the edge as she held on to the railing, her tears falling from her eyes and into the water beneath. Next to her were FBI agents as some were already on the shores below looking for the man she loved.   
“Marcus?!”   
She screamed loudly, desperately hoping that the man she loved was alive and could hear her voice as she called out for him over and over again.   
“Marcus!”   
The sun began to go down in the distance, her heart seemed to be shattering inside her chest. Abby couldn’t comprehend how it was even possible to remain breathing. It had been more than two hours since he had walked away from her, telling her that he loved her.   
Her voice had long gone hoarse and yet, she still screamed for him. Jake was by her side, Clarke had gone home with her grandmother.   
“Marcus!”   
Jake put his hand on her back, his eyes sad and broken for her. Finally, she realized that Marcus wasn’t going to answer. Abby slid down to her knees as every bit of her seemed to die. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued………


	8. Chapter 8

Abby sat in the recliner with Clarke in her arms, the small girl safe because Marcus loved Abby too much to allow her child to be hurt. Clarke made a sucking noise in her sleep, something that Abby would normally smile at. Only right now, as grateful as she was that her daughter was safe, she was stuck in the sadness of the thought that Marcus was gone.   
It didn’t feel right, just the night before he had made love to her, told her that he loved her. Even now, she could hear his voice, the huskiness that he breathed out against her neck. Abby couldn’t fathom that the man she had always loved, was gone. How was it possible that her heart could even beat? How was it possible that she could even breathe? The tears were coming, hot and angry that the man that she was sure she would spend the rest of her life with, was gone.  
In her minds eye she could see the young man who had first loved her, their first kiss, his hands that shook when he had timidly touched her for the first time and as much as she hated it, she saw the boy whom she had rejected because of her own damn fear.   
Something inside her felt as if it was ripping apart, it had finally felt like everything made sense, the way it felt to be reunited with him, as if every piece of every puzzle finally fit together.   
Thoughts of him in his last moments rushed over her, she wondered if he had been terrified, had his mind showed him pictures of Abby, of their short time together? Had he thought about how much he loved her?   
Abby kissed the top of Clarke’s head, allowing her tears to fall into the blond hair beneath her lips. She tried to cry quietly, her daughter had been through far too much for one day. The last thing that Abby wanted to do was wake up Clarke when it had taken so long for her to fall asleep in the first place.   
They had been home for four hours, Clarke had been asleep for one of them. Jake slept across the room on the couch. He had wanted to stay and search for Marcus and yet the chief made it very clear that Jake was to go with Abby and Clarke.   
The phone that belonged to Jake was on the coffee table, a green light flashing. Abby watched it like a hawk, willing it to ring. She knew that Jake would be called when they either found Marcus alive or if they found him dead.   
Yet, with each passing minute, she didn’t think that he would be found alive. At this point, he would have called, he would have found a way to get a message to her. The more she thought about, the more everything inside her began to hurt.   
“Abby?”   
She looked over at Jake who was slowly sitting up.   
“You should put her down and get some sleep.”   
“I can’t sleep, not when I don’t know.”   
“He wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself by not resting.”   
“If it was me out there, do you think that Marcus would be sleeping?”   
Jake knew the answer, he didn’t even have to think about it.  
“Abby, your reason for living is sitting right there in your lap. I’m sorry that you are hurting, but, you need to hang on to what is important.”   
She shook her head before speaking quietly.   
“I hadn’t felt that kind of happiness in such long time. When I saw Marcus that first day after so many years, I knew right away that I still loved him, that perhaps, I had never really stopped loving him. When he hugged me in his truck after giving me a ride home, I felt………..happy. With him, I knew that I could spend the rest of my life. It wasn’t something that I had to think about or talk myself into. When he said he loved me, I believed him. I’d known him for far too long to doubt the words that he was saying.”   
The sound of her own voice shaking was not lost on either one of them. Jake sat quiet, listening before speaking just as quietly as Abby had been.   
“Marcus was a wonderful, witty and remarkable man.”   
Slowly, she shook her head.   
“Don’t say it like that, Jake. Don’t say it as if he is never coming back.”   
Yet, she had talked that way herself, hadn’t she? Still, when someone else talked about Marcus in the past tense, everything in her felt depleted.   
“Abby, you have to face facts. It is cold outside; the water was nearly freezing.”   
“Jake, stop! Just don’t!”   
Quickly she wrapped her arms tighter around Clarke and rocked her in the recliner, grateful that her little girl didn’t wake up when Abby had grown louder. Neither Jake nor Abby spoke for several minutes. The sound of his phone going off ripped through the tension. Abby stopped moving and stared at Jake, his eyes on her as he reached out quickly and picked up the phone.   
“Griffin.”   
Abby watched as he sat quietly and listened to whatever was being said. He gave a nod before speaking to whoever was on the other end. He laid his phone back on the coffee table and looked across at his ex.   
“Abby, they found him.”   
She couldn’t speak as she took in the look on Jake’s face. He would have to speak first, say the inevitable. Abby couldn’t ask one single question, not right then.   
“We need to get to the hospital, Abby.”   
Abby sucked in her breath loudly as hope filled her.   
“He’s alive?”   
She stood with Clarke in her arms as Jake grabbed his phone and moved to take Clarke from her. Jake reached out with one hand and gripped Abby’s shoulder.   
“It isn’t good, Abby. You should brace yourself for that.”   
“All that matters is that he is alive, as long as he is breathing, there is hope.” 

Neither Jake or Abby spoke as he drove towards the hospital. In the backseat, Clarke was asleep, her thumb plopped into her mouth. Abby’s entire body shook as she anticipated what would happen once they arrived at the hospital.   
Together they entered the hospital, Jaha was waiting in the lobby for them, he looked exhausted. A small smile broke across his face as he saw them. Quickly he moved to them, taking the time to ask about Clarke. Jake filled his boss in quickly before staring at Jaha, waiting for news.   
“Marcus was shot, twice in fact. One got him in the stomach, the other in the chest. It looks as if he fell over the bridge and into the water beneath.”   
Abby covered her mouth with both hands as she thought of Marcus going through so much.   
“Where is he?”   
“He is in surgery. They need to remove the bullets and clean the wounds. He was in the water for quite some time, their goal is to clean out any infection that has started. They will come and get us once he is out of surgery.”   
“Abby, you should sit down.”   
She ignored Jake by giving a shake of her head as she moved away from both of the men. Slowly she began to pace. Marcus was in surgery because he had been willing to save Clarke. Quietly she prayed to a God that she hardly knew and begged him to save the man she loved.   
“Abby?”   
“Harper, can you check on Marcus Kane for me? He is in surgery.”  
The young pretty girl smiled.   
“Jackson is already checking and then he will come down. Do you want me to take Clarke? We can put her in one of the empty beds upstairs.”   
“No, I think she needs to be with Jake and I right now.”   
Harper gave a small nod.   
“I completely understand. Do you want some coffee? I can get you some.”   
Abby shook her head before giving Harper a smile that she didn’t quite feel. 

The time passed all too slowly as Abby held the cooling cup of coffee in her hands as they waited for Jackson to arrive with some news. When he finally made his way into the room, Abby stood.   
“What did they say?”   
The look on his face didn’t look as if he had anything hopeful to say. Abby’s chin trembled, knowing that there was a look to giving bad news. She had done it herself dozens of times. Slowly she rose from her chair and faced the man who had been her friend for some time.   
“Just tell me, Jackson.”   
“Why don’t we sit down, Abs?”   
She shook her head as tears once again filled her eyes.   
“That man is the love of my life, so just tell me.”   
Jackson took a deep breath before he held her upper arms gently.   
“His blood pressure….”   
“Because of his body heat, right? It is low because of his body heat?”   
The young man nodded.   
“Yes, Abs. They were able to remove both bullets, which is good. However, right now they are about to close him up. They wouldn’t have done the surgery, the bullets were in dangerous locations. They will be taking him to ICU after spending some time in recovery.”   
“But, they think he will be stable?”   
She looked up at him with hopeful eyes even though the logic of a doctor was depleting her. Jackson shook his head sadly.   
“Right now, it is going to be all about the body heat.” He said it gently, knowing her heart was breaking even as she stood before him.   
“Abby, let’s sit down.”   
He led her to a chair where she stared down at the floor, no longer able to speak.   
“Mama?”   
She hadn’t even realized that her daughter had woken up.   
“Yes baby?” Abby reached for her little girl who quickly crawled into her lap.   
“Is the nice man hurt?”   
Clarke had no idea that the man who saved her meant the world to Abby.   
“Yes, he got hurt baby.”   
“Can we see him and tell him thank you?”   
Abby laid her forehead against Clarke’s.   
“Not right now, but, I hope soon that we can.”   
“Does he like stuffed animals? We can get him one.”   
“I’m sure that your dad can take you to pick one out when the store opens back up.”   
That seemed to be enough for Clarke as she rested back against her mother.   
“When can we go home, Mama?”   
Jake who had been across the room came over and sat down in a chair across from Abby.   
“Why don’t you let me take Clarke back to your house? She wants to sleep in her own bed, it will make her feel a little more stable.”   
Abby continued to hold onto to her daughter, not wanting to let go of the only thing that made her feel any kind of comfort. Jake leaned forward and placed his hand on Abby’s knee.   
“I can bring her back at any time, Abby.”   
“You’re going to go home with your daddy.”   
“Can we get French fries on the way home? I’m hungry.”   
Jake smiled at his daughter.   
“For today only, you can have any food you want.”   
Clarke smiled brightly at her dad as she scrambled out of her mother’s lap.   
“I can get a chocolate shake too?”   
He nodded before picking her up.   
“Yep, kiss your mom goodbye.”   
He leaned Clarke forward, Abby cupped Clarke’s face in her hands and gave her a kiss.  
“You be good for your dad.”   
“I promise, mama.”   
Jake leaned over and kissed the top of Abby’s head before he turned to leave. Abby watched as Jake left the room with Clarke in his arms. Jaha sat down next to Jackson as they awaited news about Marcus. 

When Dr. Shaver came walking through the double doors at the end of the hall, Abby stood and made her way to him. Jackson, Harper and Jaha hot on her tails.   
“How is Marcus?”   
“Abby?”   
“Marcus is the man that I’ve been seeing, John, how is he?”   
“I won’t lie to you, we’ve been friends too long for that. You know that the temperature is a big deal. I wouldn’t have chosen surgery in this condition but, we had no choice. We are trying to bring up his temp even in recovery. I’ve decided to place him in ICU. The next forty-eight hours will be very telling. The river water didn’t help because it seeped into the wounds and had already started an infection. We have him on antibiotics and fluids. You can see him once we get him to ICU. Abby, do you have any questions?”   
Although there was four people standing in front of him, he kept his eyes on Abby.   
“Do you think he is going to be alright?”   
John shrugged as he dragged his lower lip through his teeth.   
“You know, according to his chart, he is a relatively healthy guy and he is in great physical shape. I think that makes me feel a little more positive about his condition. Abby, you will know better than me if he is indeed a fighter. It will be up to all of you to give him hope. Remember, you can only see him for ten minutes out of the hour. Only one visitor at a time. You know the rest of the drill.”   
“Thank you, John.”   
With that she hugged him briefly before waiting until she could see him. 

It was nearly another two hours before a nurse that Abby didn’t know came out to tell her that she could see Marcus. Although, Abby knew the way, she didn’t bother to say that to the nurse. The woman in the purple scrubs led her down the long hallway to where Marcus would be.   
Abby froze momentarily just outside the sliding glass door that separated her from the man she loved. Her eyes were cast downward, the sounds of the machines humming filled her ears. With one hand to her chest, she said another prayer for the man that she adored. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to him.   
His body was covered with a heated blanket, his eyes were closed, his hair slicked back. Abby walked in slowly, sitting beside the bed and taking his hand that felt far too cold.   
The nurse came in just seconds later.   
“He is so wiped out, you probably shouldn’t expect him to wake up tonight.”   
She didn’t bother to tell the nurse that she knew that. No, she was far to grateful to be holding his hand.  
There was so much that Abby wanted to say, so many things that she needed to tell him. Yet, with the nurse standing there and monitoring the IV levels, there wasn’t much that Abby could do. What she could do was lean over the bed and kiss his forehead, letting her warmth transfer to him somehow.   
When the nurse finally left, Abby whispered softly to him, leaning her forehead against his cheek as she spoke.   
“I never should have broken up with you, I look back at it now and I think about what a fool that I was. Do you have any idea how many times that I thought about you over the years? When I married Jake, I thought about you, I wondered where you were and how you were doing and I even wondered if you ever thought about me. When I saw you come into the house that day, not knowing that Diana had married you, I felt that same feeling that I use to have when I saw you in the halls at school. Letting you hold me in the car that day, remembering what it was like to feel the heat of you. Craving you every day after that even while being terrified of my feelings for you.”   
The tears fell from her and on to Marcus, she took a breath before she began to speak again.   
“I’m so grateful that you saved my child, thank you, Marcus for loving me enough to protect her. You were willing to sacrifice you own life for hers. As if I didn’t already love you so much, now, I love you even more. Marcus, as grateful as I am to be her mom, she should have been yours. We should have gotten married out of high school and we should have had a whole house full. Can you even imagine what that would have been like for us, Marcus? A little girl with your eyes and a little boy with my smile? I can imagine you teaching them how to swim and taking them to riding a bike for the first time. I am so sorry that I took that dream from both of us. I don’t know that I can ever fully forgive myself for taking away from us what we should have had.”   
She wrapped one arm around his head, holding him to her.   
“One night wasn’t enough, Marcus. I need more time with you. I wish that I could say it was more than enough but, how can anyone be satisfied with only one night with you? It isn’t possible. I want to marry you, I want to have at least one child with you. I want to fight over baby names and pick out nursery colors with you. I want to have that moment when I come to you and tell you that I’m going to have your baby and I want to see the smile that spreads across your face. I want to have that moment with you when you bend down on one knee and ask me to be your wife and I want to cry and say ‘yes, I will marry you’”. Marcus, I want a whole life with you. I want to make love to you after arguing with you, I want to know that you are the man that I get to hold next to me for the rest of my life. You are the man that has moved me since the first time you kissed me.”   
The sob broke through her lips as she held his hand against her chest.   
“I screamed for you, Marcus. I yelled your name over and over again. I was sure if I could just yell a little louder and keep yelling a little longer that you would finally answer me. You didn’t. I tried to search for you and they wouldn’t let me. They pulled me away. Jake got me in the truck and put Clarke in my lap, he knew I wouldn’t run that way. Marcus, I thought that I was driving away from the love of my life, that you were out there in the cold. My heart was breaking and inside I was still calling your name. Did you hear me? Did you wish that you could tell me not to leave you? I didn’t want to leave you, I wanted to find you and I wanted to save you. Marcus, you save me just be being you, just by loving me. Do you know how long I’ve waited for someone like you to love me? Marcus, you have to wake up so that you can save me over and over again. I’ll save you too. I will, you only need to wake up so that I can do it. Wake up, so that we can decorate for Christmases together, wake up so that we can celebrate every one of our birthday’s together. Marcus, wake up so that I can have your babies and we can take them to soccer games and watch them perform in school plays. I’ll be that mom who cries through it and you’ll be the guy who shakes your head at me for crying even when you wrap your arms around me and tell me that it will be ok. Please don’t leave me, please, I need you in the same way that I need air, how can I breathe if you aren’t in this world? I love you, Marcus, with my entire soul, my body, with every single thing that makes me, me.”   
Abby could hardly get the words out as they began to mix together. Her sobs started in her chest and then broke through in tears.   
“Marcus, they are going to kick me out soon. I know that you need to rest. I know you love me. You said it and I know that you meant it. Thank you for saving Clarke, thank you for saving me. Thank you for being everything that I have ever hoped for. I will be the first person in here to see you in the morning. Don’t leave me. I love you.”   
“Abby?”

To be continued……………………………..


	9. Chapter 9

“I screamed for you, Marcus. I yelled your name over and over again. I was sure if I could just yell a little louder and keep yelling a little longer that you would finally answer me. You didn’t. I tried to search for you and they wouldn’t let me. They pulled me away. Jake got me in the truck and put Clarke in my lap, he knew I wouldn’t run that way. Marcus, I thought that I was driving away from the love of my life, that you were out there in the cold. My heart was breaking and inside I was still calling your name. Did you hear me? Did you wish that you could tell me not to leave you? I didn’t want to leave you, I wanted to find you and I wanted to save you. Marcus, you save me just be being you, just by loving me. Do you know how long I’ve waited for someone like you to love me? Marcus, you have to wake up so that you can save me over and over again. I’ll save you too. I will, you only need to wake up so that I can do it. Wake up, so that we can decorate for Christmases together, wake up so that we can celebrate every one of our birthday’s together. Marcus, wake up so that I can have your babies and we can take them to soccer games and watch them perform in school plays. I’ll be that mom who cries through it and you’ll be the guy who shakes your head at me for crying even when you wrap your arms around me and tell me that it will be ok. Please don’t leave me, please, I need you in the same way that I need air, how can I breathe if you aren’t in this world? I love you, Marcus, with my entire soul, my body, with every single thing that makes me, me.”   
Abby could hardly get the words out as they began to mix together. Her sobs started in her chest and then broke through in tears.   
“Marcus, they are going to kick me out soon. I know that you need to rest. I know you love me. You said it and I know that you meant it. Thank you for saving Clarke, thank you for saving me. Thank you for being everything that I have ever hoped for. I will be the first person in here to see you in the morning. Don’t leave me. I love you.”   
“Abby?”  
She froze, slowly leaned back as if she couldn’t quite believe it, then looked down at him. He looked exhausted, yet, he was looking up at her. Abby cupped his face as he gave her a small smile.   
“Baby, you’re awake.”   
Slowly, as if it took all his strength, he reached up and let his left hand hold on to her wrist lightly.   
“I fought to live for you, Abby.”   
The tears filled her eyes quickly as a bright smile crossed her face.   
“Marcus Kane, I love you.”   
The man she loved stared up at her, he let his fingers graze her face before he spoke in a light whisper.   
“Baby, I love you.”   
She leaned her forehead against his before allowing her lips to lightly touch his.   
“You need to sleep. Marcus, get all the rest you need, because when you get out of here, we are going to start our life together.”   
“I’m looking forward to that.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he closed his eyes and seemed to drift off into slumber. 

“Dr. Griffin?”   
She turned to face Dr. Montgomery.  
“Yes.”   
“Why don’t you go home and get some sleep? You need rest just as much as he does.”   
“I don’t want to leave him.”   
Abby stood and stared down at Marcus, slight snores coming from him.   
“He’s been through so much and all to save your little girl. Let him rest, you can come back in the morning.”   
The doctor was right as much as Abby didn’t want him to be.   
“I’ll go, but, if he needs anything, promise that I will be called.”   
He nodded and gave her a smile.   
“I’ll do just that, I know you were so good when my granddaughter was in your care.”   
Abby could do little more than nod. She wanted to kiss Marcus, yet, instead, she silently told him that she loved him before taking her purse and heading out to where a police officer stood guard.   
“Diana hasn’t been found?”   
The police officer, a younger man with a pleasant face shook his head.   
“Not as of yet, there is still a team out there looking for her.”   
“Will you be here all night?”   
“Yes, captain has me here until six. Then another officer will be here.”   
“Thank you for protecting him.” 

That night Abby curled up in bed and fell into a deep sleep, the days emotions had taken over and zapped her if any energy that she had left. 

Marcus woke up, it was clear that it was still dark out and the sun had not broken through the clouds. He still felt tired, the kind of tired that coffee wouldn’t help. Slowly, he allowed his eyes to drift shut again. He pictured the little blond girl, Abby’s daughter. As sore and as bad as he felt, he was happy that she was safe. He wondered if right now, the woman he loved was able to be curled up with her daughter.   
It had only been a few hours since he had seen Abby and yet, he missed her. Marcus wanted nothing more than to start that life with her, the life that they should have started so many years ago. Yet, now they had the chance to begin again, to start fresh and to act as if they never had to be kept apart.   
As much as Marcus didn’t want to think about Diana, he did. He thought back to the years of their marriage and although he would never admit it, he wondered if he had been too hard on her, maybe their time together had been better than he had remembered it.   
He let out a groan as he knew that he had tried to keep that marriage above water and in the end, he had been the only one paddling. This thing with Abby was new and yet, what he loved most about it, was the fact that there was nothing about it that felt forced. Everything with Diana had been so forced and difficult.   
Marcus heard the phone ring in the hospital room. He turned his head slowly and looked over at the cream-colored device that was sitting on the little night stand next to the hospital bed. Although, it took more effort that he would have thought, Marcus reached for it.   
“Hello?”   
“Wow! I guess superhero’s can get hurt.”   
He froze when he heard the voice.   
“Diana?”   
“Yes, your wife. I had hoped you would die.”   
“Well, I didn’t die, Diana. You kidnapped a child and for what?”   
“Her mother stole you. It would have only served Abby right if I had killed her baby. You were supposed to have done it, I should have known that you weren’t a man of your word. You are the same man that had promised to love me for the rest of my life. I don’t think you ever meant any of your promises.”   
“Diana, I did mean it at the time. I did love you, I did care. It was all the stuff that happened overtime.”   
“I wasn’t that bad.”   
“You didn’t love me.”   
“What is love to you, Marcus? I didn’t leave you. I stayed with you. I worked hard.”   
“None of that matters now, I love her. I saved her daughter because I love her.”   
“That’s funny.”   
“How so?”   
“Because, I’m standing outside of her house.”   
The click on the other side of the phone was the loudest thing that Marcus had ever heard.   
“Officer!” Marcus felt the pull of the incision as he yelled out to the officer that he knew would be there.   
“Detective Kane, what is it?”  
“Diana is at the residence of Abby Griffin, her and her daughter could be in danger!”   
“How could you know that, Sir?”   
“Call for help now!”   
A nurse came running in as the officer got on his walkie-talkie. 

Abby woke up, if she didn’t pee soon, she would burst. The grogginess from the day’s events still weighed on her as she slid out of bed. Slowly, she made her way to the bathroom, the light of the small room made everything seem far too bright. Abby flushed and then stood to wash her hands.   
The sound from the other room signified that Clarke might be awake. A little girl could only sleep so long. It was best to be with her after the day that her little girl had.   
With slippers on her feet, Abby headed out of the room and down the hallway to where Clarke’s room was. Abby couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved when she saw her daughter lying on her side, her thumb plopped in her mouth as she slept peacefully. The mother in her, as tired as she was, just wanted to watch the little girl who might not have ever had the chance to come home. Abby whispered ‘thank you’ to the power in the sky as she sat down on the edge of Clarke’s bed. Softly, she ran a hand through Clarke’s hair, so grateful that her baby was in one piece.   
The noise downstairs told her that Jake hadn’t gone home after all, when she had arrived home the night before, Jake had said that he was going to show himself out sometime before dawn. He had to feed his dog and would come back sometime around lunch so that Abby could head back to the hospital and that way she could be with Marcus.   
She made her way down the stairs, it was pitch-black, a clear sign that he had indeed left, the kitchen light had been on when Abby had made her way to bed. Although, she was an adult woman, there was something about the dark that still bothered her. Abby tried not to feel afraid as she tiptoed her way down the stairs. In fact, she was a bit annoyed with herself because this was her home and she shouldn’t feel afraid in her own home.   
In fact, up stairs her daughter was safe. Abby had sat with her and saw that for herself. Only now, a chill ran through her as she reached the landing.   
“Jake?”   
There was no response. In fact, Jake hadn’t always been the deepest of sleepers. Hadn’t he always woken up at the sound of his name? Of course, his little girl had gone through a horrendous experience and as strong as Jake was, perhaps, it had more of an effect on him than Abby had given him credit for.   
“Jake?”   
It was worth trying again, right now she wanted to hear his voice. Abby knew one thing to be true, she had heard movement down here when she had been up with her daughter. Now, here she was without so much as a weapon, she didn’t have anyway to be able to defend herself if someone was indeed in her house.   
“Jake?” She could hear her own voice shaking as she said it.   
Abby moved quickly to the lamp on the side table. She reached out and touched the knob, only Abby felt the sting of something in her hand. The warm liquid moved down her hand and over wrist before making its way down her arm. Purposely, she didn’t make a noise past the initial sting. There was very little that Abby could do in this moment. The only thing she could think of was to head back up the stairs in order to protect her baby.   
Carefully and quickly, Abby moved back to the stairway and headed up, careful not to touch anything in case there were shards of glass anywhere else. Abby couldn’t seem to breathe as she moved as efficiently as she could towards her cellphone and her daughter. She reached the top of the stairs fairly quickly, took off her slippers, leaving them at the edge of the stairs and then ran at full speed towards her bedroom. Her phone was still on the charger as it sat on the nightstand. Abby pulled it from the charger, then turned and ran towards the bedroom door, determined to get to Clarke.  
“If you take another step, I’ll kill your daughter in front of you.”   
Abby felt her blood chill, her and her child were alone with Diana. It took everything Abby had to turn around and face the sound of the woman’s voice who had already caused so much damage.   
“Why are you here, Diana?”   
Diana flipped on the light, she was standing by the nightstand. The woman’s eyes moved over Abby.   
“This is what my husband likes? You in grey sweats and a t-shirt? This is what turns him on?”   
“You guys aren’t together.”   
Diana pulled out a gun and pointed it at Abby.   
“That didn’t give you the right to take my husband.”   
“I didn’t take him. You know this all to be true, Diana. You guys were miserable for a long time. Do you even love him?”   
“That is not the point, Abby. The point is that I was married and I thought my life was set. What right did you have to come along and just mess up my life with him?”   
Abby took a deep breath. “I’m sorry that I made you feel less than you are. Perhaps, I shouldn’t have handled things the way that I did. I’m sorry that you found yourself hurt. Diana, you have to leave though. My child is in this house, which I am sure that you already know. You’ve already done enough damage to her and you don’t have a right to treat her like that.”   
Diana’s eyebrows shot up as she stared dangerously at Abby.   
“I didn’t have a right to treat your daughter like that? You didn’t have a right to treat my life the way you did.”   
“Look, we’ve been over this, Diana. I don’t know what you want me to say to you. I just want you to leave my house.”   
Diana laughed, “Do you think I am going to leave this house without leaving your life permanently changed. I spoke to Marcus in the hospital, did he tell you?”   
Abby felt the fear move through her.   
“You went to the hospital?”   
“What if I did?”   
“Did you? Did you go see Marcus?”   
Abby’s cellphone went off in her hand. Her eyes flashed down at her phone.   
“Go ahead, answer it. It is probably Marcus, calling to warn you.”   
“Hello?”   
“Abby, this is Jaha. Is Diana there with you?”   
“Yes.”   
“Ok, we are outside, no lights, no sirens. Are you and Clarke safe?”   
“Yes, is Marcus alright?”   
“She didn’t go to the hospital, she called him.”   
“So, he is safe? Say it, Jaha.”   
“I’ve seen him and he is safe.”   
Abby let out a sigh of relief for Marcus even though her and her daughter were still in a house with a man-woman.   
“Hang up the phone, Abby.”   
She looked over at Diana who was holding the gun while shaking, her eyes wide at Abby. So, it wasn’t really a question on whether or not to hang up, she knew that she would. She set the phone on the dresser and turned back towards Diana.   
“Tell me what to do, Diana.”   
“Get on your knees.”   
Abby felt as if the air was sucked from her lungs.   
“You’re going to kill me?”   
A strange smile crossed Diana’s lips.   
“I think you deserve it, don’t you?”   
“Diana, you don’t have to kill anyone.”   
“I already did. Now, get down on your knees.”   
Abby’s heart fell, had she gotten to Clarke?   
In a flash, Abby ran from the room and down the hall to her little girl’s room. Clarke was still on her side, her thumb still plopped in her mouth. Abby sighed deeply.   
She didn’t have to look in order to know that Diana was standing in the doorway.   
“You can kill me now, just don’t touch my child.”   
Diana looked passed Abby and at the tiny girl.   
“I give you my word that I won’t hurt her, on the condition that you don’t fight me.”   
“I won’t fight you, Diana.”   
Memories of Jake, Clarke and Marcus all ran through Abby’s mind. The truth was that she wouldn’t have changed any of them. It made her sad to know that she wouldn’t see her child grow up, Jake though was an amazing father and he would see to it that Clarke was well taken care of. Abby’s heart broke for Marcus. He really loved her and it was going to break his heart to get the news that the woman he loved hadn’t survived Diana’s reign of terror.   
“Go downstairs.”  
The sun had broken through and was beginning to show itself, casting lights and shadows around the room. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Abby could only speak in a light whisper.   
“Where do you want me to go?”   
“Kneel down by the recliner.”   
In the same spot where she had made love with Marcus for the first time, Abby knelt down slowly. She could feel her own heart breaking.   
“Turn and face your family pictures.”   
On the wall behind the couch were pictures of Abby’s life, chronicling life with her family and her daughter. It seemed fitting to be looking at those things as she spent her last few seconds on earth. Only that wasn’t what Abby would notice. No, what she would notice was Jake who was lying on the couch, blood all over his head and torso.   
“Jacob?”   
Yet, she knew that he wasn’t going to answer. The tears that came, poured down freely. Her heart shattered. There laid the man that she had loved, the man who had fathered her only child. The man that loved Clarke more than he loved anyone.   
“Why would you hurt him?”   
“Clarke will wake up in the morning to find both of her parent’s dead, and she will know that she had to go through it because you don’t have any morals.”   
Abby swallowed hard as she stared at the man that she once loved, the man she would have done anything for and the man that she would always be grateful for.   
Diana wasted no time, placing the gun at her head. Abby could feel the cold steel against her temple. Her entire body shaking as her life was about to come to an end. At least Clarke would be alright, Jake’s mom would take her, would raise her with as much love as she did her own son. The police were outside and that meant that Clarke would not have to walk in on the scene of her parent’s in the front room. At least she was able to tell Marcus how much she loved him and always had. They wouldn’t be sharing a life together or having children, she would never get to tell him that they had created a life together as he found out that she was going to have his baby.   
There would be no watching him teach their children how to swim or helping Clarke climb the big hill in the backyard.   
The shot rang out, so loud that Abby half expected the pain to ring through her head, instead it was Diana that fell to the floor.   
Shaking and afraid, Abby looked up. Marcus stood in blue scrubs, his arm stretched out, his other arm around his abdomen.   
“Marcus! What are you doing out of the hospital?!”   
Quickly she ran to him and cupped his face.   
He looked pale and exhausted.   
“Abby, I couldn’t let anything happen to you guys.”   
“Jake! Marcus, he needs help.”   
Behind Marcus, several officers and EMT’s came rushing in. Abby quickly directed them to Jake.   
“Is he dead? Is my daughter’s father dead?” 

 

To be continued…………………………………..


	10. Chapter 10

Abby was worried about both Jake and Marcus. Jake was worked on while lying on Abby’s couch, when he was taken from her house, Abby could only helplessly watch as the man she had once loved was wheeled out of her house. It was clear that Jake was unconscious and not responding to any of the commands that the EMT’s had tried to give him.   
Marcus as sore as he was, stood with Abby, one arm around her as she realized that things weren’t looking good for the father of her child. She looked up at Marcus and realized just how exhausted and pale he was.   
“Jaha, can you get him back to the hospital please?”   
“Of course.”   
“I don’t want to leave you, Abby.”   
She reached up and touched his face gently.   
“I love you, Marcus. I need you here more than you know, but, I need to know that you will be alright.”   
He sighed.   
“Just take care of Clarke, I’ll see you soon.”   
“I’ll be by to see you.”   
“I love you, Abby.”   
“I love you too, now go.”   
With that she watched as Marcus and Jaha left the house. Then Abby promptly went upstairs to pack bags for her and Clarke, with that, she woke her daughter up and together they left to the Marcus’s hotel room. There was just no way Abby was going to allow herself or her baby to stay in that house after the night that had taken place there. 

Abby let Clarke pick out a movie and pick out food from room service that was just now beginning to serve breakfast. Abby ordered something too, knowing just how bad it could be for patient’s family members who didn’t eat, they always ended up sick too.   
As hard as it was for Abby, she played a board game with Clarke that one of the women in housekeeping kept around for when her daughter was with her at work. They played Candyland about six different times before Clarke finally grew tired of it. Exhaustion was more than creeping in on Abby and yet, Clarke had slept more than her fair share.   
Abby even ran a bubble bath for the little girl and let her play in the water till her hearts content. Clarke requested that her hair be put in a braid. Of course, Abby would say yes and together she sat with her daughter on the bed as she brushed the little girls’ hair out before taking her time and combing out the blond hair. Clarke giggled as she watched the cartoon characters on the television.   
It was nearly ten in the morning when Clarke yawned and laid down on the bed. Abby rubbed her back and turned down the lights in the room. It only took a few moments for her to watch as her daughter’s eye drifted closed as she moved on into dreamland.   
Quickly, Abby grabbed her cell, wondering why no calls had been made to her yet. It was only then that she realized that Clarke must have turned off the sound. Abby didn’t bother to check the voicemails and instead called the hospital to find out the status of both Jake and Marcus. The waiting for the doctor to come to the other end of the line was frustrating and yet, Abby knew they were making an exception for her.   
“Its Dr. Montgomery, is this Abby?”   
“Hi, how is Jake.”   
“I called you, Abby.”   
“I know, it was a long night and Clarke accidently turned off the sound. How is he?”   
“It isn’t good, Abby. Jake took a hit directly to the temple, he was hit several times and because he was asleep at the time of the attack, he didn’t have a rat’s chance of defending himself.”   
Abby put one hand over her mouth as she tried to deal with wrapping her mind around this new information.   
“Does his mother know?”   
Her voice cracked as she said it.   
“Yes, she knows. In fact, she is here now. His mother has made it pretty clear that visiting hours don’t apply to her.”   
Abby let out a small laugh even as a tear fell down her cheek.   
“I would expect nothing less from her, I have Clarke, I want to come see him. I’m hoping to get someone to come and stay with her so that I could get there.”   
“Ok, I’ll be doing rounds again tonight, maybe I’ll be able to update you then.”   
“Thank you.”   
“Anytime, Abby. Let me put you back on with Raven. She can transfer you to Marcus if you would like.”   
“Please.” 

Marcus answered his phone, he sounded tired.   
“Hello?”   
“It’s good to hear your voice even if you sound tired.”   
“Hi, baby. How’s Jake?”   
“He isn’t good.” With that she began to cry.   
Marcus gave her time to cry before he spoke softly.   
“I’m sorry that I can’t be of any help right now.”   
“Hearing your voice is helping me. Jake never even had a chance to protect himself. That lunatic hit him in the temple. He didn’t deserve this.”   
“Abby, I’m so sorry.”   
“This isn’t our fault, Marcus. This is her fault. She chose to kidnap Clarke, she chose to hurt you, Marcus and then she came after Jake before finding me. I’m angry with her, not with our choices.”   
“You’re an amazing woman, Abby. Now, how is Clarke doing?”   
“She was up since the time you guys left, so she just fell asleep.”   
“I give you a lot of credit for being able to sleep in that house after everything that happened.”   
“I’m not at the house.”   
“Where are you?”   
“Um…….”   
She began to stumble over her words as if he was going to be angry with her. That was ridiculous, Marcus wasn’t that kind of man, surely, he would understand.   
“Abby?”   
“I’m, um, well, Marcus, I’m in your hotel room.”   
“I think that is the perfect place for you to be. Your safe now. Diana is dead and she can’t hurt you or Clarke.”   
“Thank you for not being upset with me for being here.”   
“Not a chance. I want a life with you, baby. My home or lack thereof, is yours as well.”   
She couldn’t help but smile at that.   
“That means everything in the world to me. I love you so much, Marcus. I’m looking forward to seeing you.”   
“I love you too, how are you going to be able to come?”   
“I’m going to call a friend of mine to see if she can come sit with Clarke, people started messaging a bit ago seeing if they can help in anyway. So, I’m going to ask some of them to help with Clarke this week so that I can come see you and Jake.”   
“Take all the time you need with Jake. I’ll see you soon.”   
When Abby was finally able to get to the hospital, she had to take a deep breath before heading towards ICU. It wasn’t the first time that she was going to be walking into the area and yet, it was the first time that she was going in to see Jake.   
Abby had to click on a visitor button and a camera switched on.   
“Can I help you?”   
“I’m here to see Jake Griffin.”   
“Oh Doctor, we will beep you in.”   
Immediately the beep went off and Abby walked in. She stepped to the sink and washed her hands before putting on the gown that was required and then walked to bed four where she could see Jake propped up with pillows. He had three IV’s, was hooked to a ventilator and had a catheter bag that hung on the side of the bed.   
“Abby……..”   
His mother stood quickly and embraced Abby.   
“I’m so glad that you have been able to come. How is Clarke?”   
“She was awake again when I left. My friend is with her and is taking her out on a girl’s day.”   
Jake’s mother smiled and nodded.   
“I know that she will love that.”   
“I spoke to Dr. Montgomery earlier.”   
Abby moved towards the bed and took Jake’s hand in hers.   
“I’m going to run home and shower if that is ok.”   
“Please, go do what you need to do. Please be sure to eat something. I’ll stay with Jake.”   
“Thank you, dear.” 

She sat down in the chair next to the bed and sat quietly for a moment, thinking of what to say to him. How many times had she told parents to talk to their children even if they were in a coma. Now, here she was struggling to find the words to say to Jake. Everything she thought of saying, Abby knew that it was going to come out far too emotional.   
“I don’t know what to say, Jake. I just don’t. I know that you and I didn’t work but, I also know that you would have done absolutely anything for your daughter and me. You proved it in everything you did. The trick or treating with us on Halloween, always being at her birthday parties, spending time with her every chance you got.”   
Abby felt the tears finding their way down her cheeks.   
“Jake, thank you for all that you were to me, thank you for being the father of our daughter and thank you for always supporting me even during the moments that it was hard for you to understand where I was coming from. You and your mom have been so great to Clarke. Isn’t Clarke something special, Jake? I knew even when I was pregnant with her that she was going to be so much like you. People can’t figure out how I knew that, I just knew. Then she came into this world with her blue eyes and at the time had that dark head of hair. I was so happy that she had my hair and then of course, over time it faded and suddenly we had this little blond girl running around.”   
A nurse came in to check his vitals and Abby stopped talking, hiding her eyes and then wiped them so that the woman looking over Jake wouldn’t see.   
“Sorry to interrupt, I’ll have to come back in if his machine goes off. Take all the time you need with him. Dr. Montgomery approved Jake to have you and his mother here for as long as you both wanted.”   
“Thank you.”   
“I’m Elizabeth, if you need me, just hit the nurses button.”   
With that, she left.   
“Things don’t look good, Jake. The one thing I know about you though is that you have always been a fighter, a defender of the weak and all-around protector. So, now I am asking you to fight for yourself. Our daughter adores you, thinks the moon rises and sets on your head. So, fight for both of you, she needs you in her day to day. Remember how you said you wanted to be able to coach a team Clarke plays on, that you wanted to be that dad? Well, our daughter is so close to being in that place where she is going to play something. Could you imagine all the moms that would hit on you? They would find you absolutely endearing for the mere fact that you are there for your daughter. I will always be so thankful to you for being there for us last night when I was afraid to be alone. That’s the thing about you Jake, you never made me say things that I wasn’t brave enough to say, you just somehow knew and stepped in just in the way you did last night. I’m sorry that this awful thing happened to you. Somehow Diana got to all four of us. Only Clarke and I weren’t physically hurt and for that I am thankful, I couldn’t have handled it if something had happened to our daughter.”   
She took another deep breath as she pictured the younger version of Jake that she had fallen in love with.   
“I’ll always love you, Jake. I know it isn’t that passionate crazy, romantic love but, you will always be important to me and at the end of the day, I am grateful that we have such a beautiful friendship. Fight for everything we were Jake and fight for the child that we created and fight for all the things that you always wanted to do. We all need you.”   
Abby squeezed his hand before simply holding it. 

When Abby arrived to Marcus’s room, it was almost three hours later. He was lying back against pillow and was softly snoring, she couldn’t help but to feel disappointed that he wasn’t awake. She desperately wanted to see his eyes and to hear his voice. Instead, Abby sat down at the window seat and stared out the window that overlooked the hospital garden. Just being still and feeling overwhelmed, she laid her head against the coolness of the window and closed her eyes as she waited for Marcus to wake up. Abby drifted off into a restless sleep. 

Marcus woke to see Abby with her eyes closed, he wished that he could take her in his arms and hold her and yet, he had given his promise that unless he had to go to the bathroom that he was not to leave that bed.   
“Baby?”   
He watched as her eyes slowly came open. She gave him a sleepy smile.   
“Marcus, I’m so glad you’re awake.”   
“Come here.”   
She moved slowly as she walked to his bed.   
“Where it be best for me to sit?”   
“Abby, just come here.”   
Carefully she sat down as he took both her hands in his.   
“Did you see, Jake?”   
He watched as the woman he loved nodded slowly.   
“He hasn’t come to at all. That isn’t a good sign. His entire face is bruised and they have him on a ventilator. I told him all the things that I wanted to tell him, I told him that I thought he was a wonderful father and that I appreciated our friendship……”   
With that she trailed off as she kept her eyes cast down at their joined hands.   
“Let me hold you, Abby.”   
“I don’t want to hurt you.”   
“See my shoulder?”   
Her eyes finally moved up in order to look at his shoulder, he could see that the tears had made their way down her cheeks.   
“Does it hurt? Do you need medicine?”   
He shook his head, “It doesn’t hurt at all, Abby. Put your head there.”   
Marcus watched as she got out of the bed and then set herself up to lay next to him. Carefully she placed her head on his shoulder as she let out a deep sigh.  
“I miss being in your arms, Marcus. It’s only been a couple of days and yet, I feel like it has been a whole lifetime.”   
“I will be released and healed before you know it and I promise you that I’ll hang on to you.”   
“I don’t understand why she did all this. Jake might not make it.”   
“Abby, I wish I knew how to help you.”   
“Just hang on to me.”   
“Happily.” 

That night Abby ordered room service and ate with Clarke at the small table. Abby couldn’t help but laugh at Clarke as the little girl ate spaghetti noodles and talked about how her daddy liked to slurp them into his mouth. Abby could vividly recall Jake doing that when they had lived together.   
“Is that your favorite thing about your daddy?”   
Clarke adamantly shook her head.   
“No, my favorite thing about daddy is how he carries me on his shoulders even though he says that I am getting too big.”   
Abby tried to smile and yet, the fact that Clarke had no idea that her daddy was laid up in a hospital was enough to tear at Abby’s heartstrings.   
“Are you tired, mama?”   
As Abby pushed her food around with the fork in her hand, she looked across at Clarke.   
“I am pretty tired, sweetheart.”   
“You should go to bed.”   
Laughter escaped Abby.   
“We will be going to bed, after you take your shower and I take mine.”   
“I’m not tired.”   
Yet, it was clear that Clarke had a big day. Octavia had taken Clarke to the movies, to get her nails done and then to the store where Clarke was treated to a new outfit that the little girl couldn’t wait to show off. Now, the little girl was trying not to yawn.   
“You are going to be going to bed too, I think you’ll be alright to go to school tomorrow.”   
A bright smile spread across Clarke’s face.   
“I get to go back to school tomorrow?”   
“You only had to miss one day.”   
“Right? I missed my teacher and my friends though.”   
“I’m glad you like your teacher, what is going to be your favorite part about going back to school tomorrow?”  
Abby watched her daughter as the little girl really thought about her answer.   
“The slide, the slide is the best part of school! Will daddy be picking me up after school tomorrow?”   
“No, honey. I’m going to be picking you up.”   
“Why? I didn’t get to see daddy today.”   
“I know you didn’t, honey. However, daddy can’t be with you right now. He loves you very much and you know that, right?”   
Clarke gave a nod while she ate one last bite of food.   
“Yes, can I take my shower now?” 

When Abby climbed into bed next to her sleeping daughter later, it was almost immediately that the little girl turned her body into Abby’s as if she instinctively knew that her mom was there.   
Abby wrapped her arm around her daughter and then laid a kiss to her blond head. 

The next morning, Clarke jumped around as she got ready. The little girl who had only missed one day of school was thrilled to be going back. She couldn’t wait to see her friends. Abby had to force Clarke to eat some toast.   
“Mom, I don’t know why you always make me eat before I go to school.”   
“Because I love you and I know you’ll have a better day if your stomach has some food in it.”   
Clarke rolled her eyes but, ate the toast anyway. 

Abby went straight to the hospital in order to go and see Jake before she would go and see Marcus after. They had Jake moved slightly on his side, Abby didn’t have to ask why, she knew exactly why they had chosen to do it.   
“Linda was asleep on a cot that someone must have brought into the room for her.”   
It was clear that the woman was not going to leave her son, Abby couldn’t blame her.   
“Hi Abby.”   
She turned and looked into the doorway to where Jake’s sister stood.   
“Samantha, how are you? When did you fly in?”   
The two women embraced in the doorway to the room.   
“I got her late last night. I came to see Jake and then had to get some sleep. How’s Clarke?”  
“She’s back at school. You are welcome to come see her at any time.”   
“Maybe we can have lunch or dinner tomorrow. Judging by social media, she is the mini me to Jake.”   
Abby smiled at Samantha, “She really is.”   
“Well, let me give you some time with Jake. I’m going to go and walk. Would you like some coffee, Abby? I’m going to pick up some for my mom as well.”   
“That would be fantastic, thank you.” 

Abby brushed Jake’s hair out of his face with her hand.   
“Jake, Clarke was telling me last night that her favorite thing about you is how you still let her sit on your shoulders even though she is getting far too big for it. Last night she ate spaghetti and mentioned she likes how you slurp the noodles in order to be funny.”   
With that she let out a small laugh.  
“It was sweet, Jake. The way she misses you and it has only been one whole day without you. Our little girl sure does love you. Clarke will be really excited to find out that her aunt Samantha is in town. I’m sure you know that your sister is here. You are so loved, Jake. Your mom has been here around the clock. I’m glad that she is sleeping, I know that she needs it. Samantha just left in order to go and get some coffee. I don’t know why I am telling you, you probably heard that.”   
Abby shook her head at herself, it was hard to figure out what to say to him.   
Although she had hoped that he would wake up, he didn’t. A. bby stayed with Jake and his family for a couple of hours before saying her goodbyes and going to see Marcus. 

Abby once against crawled into bed with him. It wasn’t like she could lay with him for very long and yet, it seemed to be the most peaceful part of her day.   
“How is Jake?”   
“There hasn’t been any change.”   
“Who’s with Clarke?”   
“I took her back to school today.”   
“That’s probably a good thing, Abby. She could get back on schedule. How is she dealing with the news about Jake, did you tell her?”   
“No, I couldn’t bring myself to tell her. I just want there to be some positive change in him so that I have good news to give to her.”   
Abby closed her eyes as Marcus ran one hand up and down her back.   
“I can understand that, sweetheart.”   
“Did they tell you when they might release you.”   
“Tomorrow which means that we are going to need to get one of the two-bedroom hotel rooms.”   
“I’ll try to switch rooms today.”   
“Abby?”   
“Are you in pain? What do you need?”   
She had sat up in order to look down at him.   
“I’m fine. I just want to talk to you about something and I know it’s a bad time.”   
“What?”   
“I want to buy a house, I Know it is too soon for you and Clarke to move in with everything going on. I just need to be sure that this is still what you want before I buy a house that would suit all three of us.”   
Abby smiled down at him before leaning forward and kissing his lips gently.   
“You are my stable place, Marcus. I agree that we will have to let Clarke get used to the idea before we move in. I still want a life with you. All that being said, you know you are in no place to pick out a house right now while you are healing.”   
He smiled up at her, “I already found one I like, I just need you to go by and see it. Maybe you can go tomorrow with Clarke. That way, I’ll know if she likes it.”   
Abby smiled before kissing him again.   
“It means a lot to me that you are thinking about my daughter.”   
“I’m going to want her to be happy too, Abby.”   
“I know and I love you for it.”   
“I love you.”   
Abby’s cellphone rang, alerting her to the fact that it was Clarke’s school.   
“Hello?”   
“Abby?”   
“Yes, is Clarke ok?”   
“Well, physically, yes. However, some kids told her that her dad was in the hospital and in bad shape. You should come.”   
“I’m on my way.”   
She turned to Marcus.   
“Kids told her about Jake, I didn’t think about that. I’ll call you tonight after she goes to sleep.”   
“Go to Clarke.” 

When Abby walked into the office, Clarke was sitting on the small bed in the nurse’s office. Her blue watery eyes stared at her mom before she jumped down and ran to Abby who wrapped her daughter up in her arms.   
“It isn’t true, right mama?”   
“I’m sorry, baby. Let’s get you signed out and we will talk about it.” 

Out by the car, Abby knelt down and looked at the little girl who looked at her with Jake’s eyes.   
“Your daddy is really sick right now.”   
“Can’t he take cough medicine?”   
“No, honey, it isn’t that kind of sick.”   
“What kind of sick is it?”   
Abby had to take a deep breath before she continued.   
“You know how you can run and play or reach for something or even tie your own shoe?”  
“Yes.”   
“Well, when you do all those things, your brain tells your body to do it and then sends signals to the parts of your body that you want to move. Your dad’s brain isn’t sending the signals to the rest of his body.”   
Clarke’s eyes began to well up again.   
“When will he be better?”   
“I don’t have an answer for that right now.”   
With that the first tears escaped Clarke’s eyes.   
“But, I love my daddy.”   
“And he loves you.”   
With that Abby gathered Clarke back into her arms and held her tightly. 

To be continued…………..


	11. Chapter 11

"Abby, it has been a month! You need a break!" 

"I'm fine!" 

Marcus wanted to walk away from the woman he loved for a few minutes to let everything calm down, that was until he heard the glass of water fall from her hand and shatter on the floor. Quickly he turned to her and stopped her before she bent down to clean it. His hands were on her biceps as he looked urgently into her eyes. 

"Would you please get some sleep? I will get Clarke from school." 

"I have to get to the hospital to see Jake!" 

She watched as Marcus shook his head. 

"He is in a coma, I am the first to admit that he could hear you. Jaha has been there, I've been there, not to mention his mother and sister. Would you please go and get some sleep? You look like you can't stand up straight without someone holding you up." 

Abby sighed, "I just don't want him to be alone." 

"One day, Abby. One damn day. Please, Jake isn't the only one who needs you. I need you, Clarke needs you." 

She pulled her arms from his grip before placing her hands on her hips. 

"Are you kidding me right now? Is this about you?" 

He stared back at her, he shook his head before moving past her to retrieve the dustpan and broom. Abby stood quietly as he bent down to begin cleaning the glass. It wasn't the first time in the past month that he had taken care of all the little details while Abby had begun to unravel. 

"Mar….." 

He put one hand up to stop her without so much as looking at her. She half expected him to say something and yet, one movement from his hand was more than enough to show that he wasn't in the mood to say anything else. 

"I'm…." 

"Just go and do what you need to do!" 

"I'm sorry, Marcus." 

He stood and passed her, shaking the glass into the trashcan before wiping the water off the floor before standing and tossing the rag in the laundry room. As she tried to move to him, Marcus sidestepped her. He grabbed his keys. 

"I need to go get Clarke. I suppose your daughter and I will see you when we see you." 

"Marcus…." 

He had slammed the door shut behind him as she watched him walk across their new yard and to his truck. Abby had no other choice than to watch him as he pulled out of their driveway. Abby walked back to the bedroom that she and Marcus shared in their new home and sat on the edge of the bed. Marcus had every right to be upset she supposed. Not once had they used the new bed for anything other than sleeping. As supportive as he was, Abby knew that she very rarely had asked him how he was doing since he had been home from the hospital. As Abby thought about it, she laid back on the bed, her mind racing about what they had all been through since the moment that Diana had kidnapped Clarke. It was easy to recall the moments between thinking that Marcus had died to protect her daughter and the exact second, she found out that he was alive. 

Then there was Clarke, her blond haired, blue eyed child who was beginning to act more like her normal self even with her daddy being in the hospital, she didn't understand just why she wasn't allowed to see him. Abby turned on her side and placed her head on the pillow that belonged to Marcus. It wasn't until this exact moment when she realized just how much she had missed being in his arms. The man still loved her and he proved that by being the sole caregiver for Clarke since he was released from the hospital. Although he was back at work, it was Marcus who picked the small girl up from daycare, made her dinner, helped with homework and made sure that she was clean and in pajamas each night before he put her to bed.

Marcus had told Abby more than once just how much he and Clarke were missing her. Abby missed them too, she missed hearing Clarke laugh while she sat on her mother's laugh when they watched movies. Abby even missed sitting next to the tub and talking to her daughter while Clarke splashed around in a mess of bubbles. Then there was Marcus, she missed making love to him and having normal day conversations with him. That was her last thought before Abby finally gave into the sleep her body had been begging her for. 

 

Marcus was more than a bit shocked when Clarke and he arrived home to see that Abby's car was still there. They carried groceries inside and placed them on the counter. The little girl went immediately to search for her mother while Marcus put away the groceries. When Clarke came back she looked solemn. 

"What is it?" 

"Momma is asleep." 

Marcus knelt down to Abby's daughter,"You know, she has been pushing herself quite a bit between work and being sure that she is with your dad in case he needs her." 

He couldn't help but see the sadness in her eyes.'

"You know, it is Friday. No school tomorrow. Why don't we make a fort in the front room, watch a movie and order some pizza?"   
Immediately her blue eyes lit up. 

"You'll help build a fort?" 

"Yes." 

She smiled across at him before wrapping her arms around his neck. Marcus hugged her closely before picking her up and kissing her cheek. 

"What kind of pizza do you want?" 

"You already know that." 

"Oh, right, you want a cheese pizza with extra cheesiness." 

Clarke laughed as she stuck her thumb into her mouth. 

"And you get vegetables with pepperoni." 

She said it as she tapped his nose. Marcus placed her gently on her feet. '

"You go and get the blankets from your room while I place the order."   
With that, Clarke ran from the room. 

 

Abby woke up hours later, a glance at the clock told her that it was just past midnight. Marcus must have covered her with a blanket and taken off her shoes. He hadn't even bothered to put away his clothes, they were simply lying on the chair in their room. Marcus wasn't beside her, she could hear the television on in the front room. Slowly, she got up from the bed and went out in search of where Clarke and Marcus must have fallen asleep.

Clarke was asleep on her bed, her thumb tucked tightly into her mouth, while she was curled up beneath the princess blanket that Jake had purchased for her on her last birthday. Abby placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead before heading to the front room so that she could ask Marcus to come to bed. Abby stopped at the end of the hall when she saw the fort, it was one of Clarke's favorite things to do, a Disney movie must have been on repeat. 

"Marcus?" 

Abby said it softly, there was no answer from Marcus. Slowly she went around the couch to find Marcus inside the fort, asleep on his back, his head on one of Clarke's unicorn pillows. Abby smiled before turning off the television and climbing into the fort with him. Abby carefully swung one leg over his hips, effectively straddling him. Marcus immediately sat up, hazy eyes coming in contact with hers, his arm back as if he was going to swing. 

"Marcus!" 

Everything came into focus, Abby on his lap, and her arms up and in front of her face.

"Abby, oh my God! Are you alright? I'm sorry." 

He placed one hand on her hip, the other on the side of her neck as he pulled her to him so that they were chest to chest. 

"What just happened?" 

"I was dreaming about the bridge, I was trying to get away." 

Abby wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she moved her forehead to his. 

"I'm so sorry, Marcus." 

"It wasn't your fault." 

"I'm sorry for that too but, I'm even more sorry that I haven't been with you these past seven weeks when you too have needed to heal, not just physically, but, mentally." 

He shook his head as their foreheads stayed together and yet, couldn't seem to find the right words. 

"Are you angry with me, Marcus." 

He shrugged softly. 

"I need you, Abby. I know Jake needs you but, the truth is…." 

"You need me too?" 

"Yes, I need you, Clarke and I both need you." 

"I'm here. Marcus, I'm here right now." 

"Abby….." 

"Let me take care of you." 

Abby kissed his lips softly, her hands cupping the side of his neck. She heard him moan into her mouth as she opened her mouth. 

"I need you, Abby." 

"I'm here, baby, I'm here." 

With that she pushed him back slightly, stopping when his head hit the pillow. 

"Just one thing, Marcus."

He looked up at her, pleading silently for her not to stop this moment. She smiled down at him before handing him a different pillow.   
"I can't do this while your head is on a unicorn pillow." 

He grinned before reaching back and yanking it out from beneath his head and thrusting the new one beneath him.

Abby leaned down and kissed the man she loved while grinding down against his almost completely hard erection. Hearing him moan in appreciation was almost too much to bear. 

"Our last time together was the first time, Abby." 

She sucked on the spot just next to his Adam's apple, the spot that she had learned years and years ago when she had first started to love him when they were mere kids. Marcus moved his hands away from her hips and yanked his shorts away from him. This time it was Abby that moaned when she felt him spring against her. Marcus pushed her skirt up and over her hips in order to have access to her. 

It only took mere seconds before they were breathless and desperate for any amount of friction. In the end, it was Marcus who couldn't wait one more second. With deft fingers, he maneuvered her underwear to the side before pushing up and into her. Their eyes instantly closed with that first intensely satisfying thrust. His hands found her breasts, his thumbs rubbing and flicking against her breasts while enjoying the way she rode him harder with each move of his thumb. 

"Its been too long, Abby……." 

She tried to speak and yet her words couldn't find their voice. Abby knew that it had been far too long as her body proved his words right when everything in her began to tense. The man beneath her thrust up hard into her, Abby was so close, Marcus could see it and feel it. It one quick motion, he had her flat on her back and pushed hard into her until he bottomed out, causing Abby to grip his hips, forcing him to go faster. 

"Just breathe." 

He whispered the words to her as his body moved over hers, everything in him was ready to let go, he could feel it in every part of him. 

"Abby………" 

"Let go, Marcus. Let go, my love." 

As much as he wanted her to topple over before him, after so much time without her, he couldn't hang on and let go as his hips came to a crashing halt, causing enough pressure that Abby too lost any chance of hanging on further. They laid on their backs, panting, neither being able to speak. It was Marcus who finally moved first and laid his head on her stomach, laying a kiss on her warm skin. Abby ran one hand up and down his back while the other ran over his arm. 

"Marcus…" 

"Hmmm?" 

"I've missed you too. I was just trying so hard to be there for Jake and his family." 

"I'm not taking that away from you, I'm not. What I'm trying to do is make sure that you don't forget those of us who have been standing in line trying to get your attention." 

"Thank you for taking care of Clarke and for building her this fort." 

Marcus merely shrugged. 

"She needed a fun night, Clarke was really glad you were home even if you were sleeping." 

"Maybe tomorrow we can take her to the movies." 

"All of us? You'll be with us, Abby?" 

"I'll be with you. I need to spend time with both of you."

He laid another gentle kiss to her stomach. 

"You won't get an argument from me, babe." 

"I love you." 

He leaned over her so that he could look her in the eye. 

"Abby, I love you more than my own life." 

The smile she gave him made her eyes light up. 

"You know what I want?" 

"Tell me." 

"I want to shower and crawl naked into our bed with you." 

He grinned down at her. 

"No man in his right mind would ever say no to that, Abby." 

 

They took their time in the shower, Abby resting her head against his chest while Marcus held her close, his face buried in the crook of her neck. The warm water ran over both of them as they kissed slowly and when Marcus took the time to wash Abby's hair. They stayed in the warmth of the shower until the water began to lose its heat. They brushed their teeth before Marcus moved to the bed first and pulled back the covers. He slid onto the sheets and waited for Abby. 

He couldn't help but stare at her when she walked from the bathroom naked, nothing illuminating her except for the light of the moon coming through the window. Abby smiled when she saw the way Marcus gazed at her, it was perhaps the most beautiful that she had ever felt in her entire life. 

"When you look at me like that, I don't even have to question whether or not I am loved, I see it all over you, Marcus."

In response, he did nothing else except to put out his hand to her, Abby took it and slipped in beside him. She placed her hand on his cheek and looked down into his eyes. 

"And when you look at me like that, Abby, I don't question whether or not you want me to kiss you until you can't breathe." 

She laughed before she leaned down and kissed his lips. A slow, sweet kiss. 

"Abby, as much as I want you, I really think you should get real sleep." 

"I have a better idea." 

"Pray tell, my dear." 

"I say you make love to me soft and slow, Marcus, and then you let me lay my head upon your chest and slip into a deep sleep." 

"Well, you know I'm not one to deny the woman I've loved half my life." 

He said it with a touch of humor and Abby laughed.

"Marcus, kiss me." 

With that, he once again had her body beneath him as he kissed her long and slow. They made love slowly, taking their time, this time Abby coming before him, twice. They fell asleep, wrapped up against one another. 

It was early in the morning when Marcus woke to the sound of his phone buzzing in the pocket of his jeans on the chair. Carefully and quietly he moved to the chair and retrieved his phone. 

 

Abby woke up to Marcus sitting next to her, gently shaking her awake, his eyes serious. She sat up quickly, her hand on his cheek. 

"Baby, what is it?" 

"Abby, I'm so sorry." 

"What? What is it?"

He looked away from her before taking her hand in his. It took him everything in him to be able to look into her eyes again. Abby felt her heart begin to pound. 

"What? Marcus?" 

"Its Jake, he died, honey." 

Abby began to cry as Marcus took her into his arms. 

To be continued.............


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Finale

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clarke sat between Marcus and Abby during her father's funeral. Marcus kept an arm around Clarke with his fingertips gripping the shoulder of Abby. Both of the women in his life were crying, he watched as Abby reached for her daughter's hand and held it. There was a part of him that wanted to take them both by the hand and lead them out of this place where Jake's body was resting in a coffin.

  
The police presence was felt and welcomed in the large church. Marcus himself was in his uniform from the days before he was a detective. Yet, he didn't think too much about that now, not when he was so unsure of how to respond now when Abby had barely said a word in three days.   
No, in fact, Clarke had barely spoken herself. Marcus merely held them both when the tears would come. He made sure that both of them ate. In was like living in silence and Marcus didn't know how to behave in this situation. As the funeral drew to a close, Marcus was a pallbearer so, he left his spot in the pew. He leaned over and kissed Clarke on the crown of her head and then did the same to Abby before stepping to the casket.   
He carried the body of Jake along with five other men. They carried the fallen officer to the hearse before he and the other men walked followed behind Jake Griffin. Jake was buried on a hill overlooking the lake. It seemed fitting for a man like Jake to be buried somewhere so beautiful.

  
Marcus held Abby's hand and carried Clarke while they walked back to the car. Clarke fell asleep with her head on Marcus's shoulder. They walked quietly, Abby standing next to Marcus while he put Clarke safely in the backseat. The back door was still open when he stood to his full height and suddenly Abby was looking up at him, her lower lip trembling. Marcus reached out and grabbed her to him and held her while she sobbed in his arms.   
They had stayed like that for several minutes with Marcus holding the woman he loved as she couldn't find her words. They had gone quiet again when he opened the car door and held it open for her as she took a seat within. Marcus drove them towards home, purposely taking the route by the lake. Abby reached over and took his hand in hers and held it in her lap. It was then that the small voice from the backseat spoke.

  
"Can we get pizza?"

  
Abby looked back at her daughter and smiled.

  
"You want pizza?"

  
"Yes, the kind that Marcus gets me before he makes the fort."

  
Clarke watched as her mother looked over to the man beside her. Marcus glanced quickly at Abby before he smiled back at Clarke.

  
"Of course, we will get one."

  
Marcus focused on the road while Clarke smiled and once again closed her eyes.

 

 

The sun had barely started to set as they arrived home with their pizza. Abby sat on Clarke's bed as the girl changed into pajamas. Clarke stopped and looked at a picture of Jake when he held his little girl just after she was born.

  
"Did you love Daddy when I was born?"

  
Abby smiled at her daughter.

  
"I loved him so very much. I never thought I would love anyone more than that."

  
Clarke turned quickly and looked at her mother.

  
"Does that mean you love someone more than you loved him?"

  
"Yes. You."

  
Clarke climbed on to her mother's lap and hugged her tight.

  
"I don't think daddy would be mad at you for loving me more."

  
Abby kissed her daughter's forehead.

  
"I know for a fact that he wouldn't be mad."

"How do you know, mama?"

  
She thought back to when Clarke was born, the look on Jake's face as he watched Abby hold their new daughter.

  
_"You love her more than anything in the world?"_

  
_She had smiled up at Jake, his bright eyes shining with pride as he stared down at his tiny daughter._

  
_"Yes."_

  
_"And that is how I know you'll be the best mother in the world to her."_

  
Clarke smiled up at her mom.

  
"I want pizza now."

  
Abby laughed, in an instant, the talk had gone from serious to comical.

  
"Go and get food. I'm going to go and change into pajamas and then we will watch movies."

  
She kissed her daughter again before the girl left her lap and ran down the hall and grabbed a slice of pizza that Marcus had left for her from the table. Abby watched while Clarke sat in front of the television while the music from ‘The Lion King' played through the speakers of the television. Abby should have known that Marcus would have started the movie so that it would be playing when Clarke came out.

  
Abby walked into her room, shutting and locking the door behind her so that she could change in privacy in case Clarke came running back up the hall.

  
"I thought you would be out with Clarke."

  
Abby smiled. Marcus was just beginning to unsnap the buttons of the service dress. She stopped to look at him for a moment before she stepped up behind him and placed her hands on the front of his uniform.   
Marcus continued to unsnap each button until his uniform laid open revealing the blue shirt and dark tie beneath. He tried to act as if she wasn't standing there as if her hands were on him even in the simplest of ways.

  
"Marcus?"

  
"Hmmm?"

  
He looked to his side towards the mirror where he could see her looking back at him. Abby's cheek up against his back, looking as if she was holding on for dear life. It was clear by the look on his face that he loved her, she could see it and yet, she saw something else too. Perhaps it was fear.

  
"What are you thinking, Marcus?"

  
He gave a slight nod as he lifted his left wrist to his right hand and begun uncuffing them. She watched as his fingers deftly took care of the uniform that he knew all too well. At first in response to her question, he simply shrugged and pierced his lips together. It was clear that he wasn't going to respond.   
Abby still watched him in the mirror. They were silent for a long time, neither speaking, Abby keeping her face against his back. Marcus himself was barely moving as he merely listened to the sound of their breathing in the quiet room.

  
"Marcus, please tell me what you are thinking."

  
"I'm thinking that I'm afraid to touch anything more than touching your hand. It seems as if every time we touch, there is too much pain inflicted. I'm not sure that I can bare anything else happen to you or to Clarke. It was enough seeing Diana with Clarke on that bridge; how can I face anymore?"

  
He heard a whimper come from Abby and yet, he did nothing to stop it. In fact, when she let go of him and sat on the edge of the bed, Marcus simply took off his jacket and laid it across the back of the chair. Abby did nothing more than watch as he loosened the tie and then unbuttoned his shirt. She watched as the clothes were pulled from his body. How many times had she wondered what it would have been like to admire his body and the few times she had been able too. Now, he stood there and she suddenly felt as if she no longer had the right to reach out and touch him, it was in his demeanor, the set of his jaw and the way he didn't make eye contact.

  
"Are you leaving us?"

  
It felt as if Abby was holding her breath as she waited for Marcus to speak and the worst was hearing nothing from silence back from him. The tears began to fall from her as she watched him pull the pants from his body. Marcus was momentarily naked as he walked past her and into the restroom where he turned on the shower. He climbed in and pulled the curtain closed behind him.   
The woman he loved as on the other side of the shower curtain and yet, he couldn't find a way to so much as say a word. Instead, he ran his hands through his hair as he thought of what to say to her next and there was a part of him that thought he wouldn't be able to so much as say a word.

  
The curtain was suddenly pulled back and Abby stood there, completely and totally naked.

  
"What are you doing?"

  
She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she stepped in and closed the curtain behind her. Her watery brown eyes stared up at him.

  
"If you don't love me, Marcus, then you need to say it too my face. I want you to look me in the eye and tell me that you are going to pack up and leave because you are too much of a coward to love me the way that you said you would."

  
He shook his head as he watched her.

  
"I have loved you since I was a mere boy. I never went back on that love back then and I wouldn't go back on it now. How can this keep going on when something bad has happened every single time I've touched you? I just can't do this, Clarke can't handle anymore. She is just a little girl."

  
"So, you really want to leave? Go. Leave. I won't stop you, Marcus."

  
Yet, even as she said it, the tears were falling down her face as her chin trembled and her entire body shook. I don't know how I will survive the loss of you and I can't even fathom the idea that I've already shared my last moments with you. If you want to leave though, then you know what, Marcus? Go. Just go."

  
Marcus thought that she was going to climb out of the shower and instead she turned to face the curtain and then couldn't take another step. Abby held her hands up to her face and sobbed into them. Despite the pain that he was dealing with too, he stepped forward and turned her towards him and then wrapped his arms around her.   
Abby didn't fight him and instead let out a ragged breath before crying into him for the second time that day. Suddenly her palms were splayed on his back as she spoke against his chest.

  
"Don't leave us, Marcus. Clarke needs you."

  
"I can't stay just for Clarke. I love her but, it wouldn't be fair, not to her, not to you and not to me."

  
"Then stay because I need you. Stay because I love you and I don't want to breathe unless you are somewhere in my life."

  
"Abby, you yourself had issues with all the bad things that have taken place. I mean, surely, you don't want to live like this. It just feels like it is always something. I don't know how to keep you and Clarke from hurting."

  
Marcus listened as Abby sobbed against him. Finally, and slowly, her red eyes were focused on his.

  
"You make the pain of everything else easier to handle. If you need to leave, then you need to go, Marcus."

  
"Clarke is out there by herself, one of us should get out there soon."

  
He stepped back beneath the water and let the soap run down his body before he without another glance at Abby stepped out of the shower.

Abby with her mind racing as if she would never be able to settle the events of the last few months and it would be worse the moment Marcus walked out of the home that they had picked out together.

 

  
Marcus was in the recliner when Abby walked into the room in her pajamas. Clarke was sitting with her legs crossed a slice of pizza hovering in the air in front of her mouth. So, enthralled she was with Simba singing that she had momentarily forgotten the loaded pepperoni slice in front of her.

  
Abby had been hungry and then somehow lost her appetite between the pizza and walking back into the front room. Instead, she headed towards Marcus who was reclined back with his hands behind his head. His dark eyes glanced up at her as she slid into the chair and laid her head on his shoulder.

  
"Abby, what are you doing?"

"Making sure that you are aware of the fact that I want you here."

  
He gave a slight nod that she felt but, didn't see. Without her asking, he put one arm around her while the other held onto her hand that she had laid upon his bare chest.

  
"You should eat, Abby."

  
She didn't respond and instead, he felt a tear fall against his chest.

  
"Abby?"

  
The woman in his arms shook her head only slightly.

  
"Don't. Just don't say anything. Let me enjoy this."

  
"If you're crying then you aren't enjoying it."

  
"Don't use logic with me right now."

  
They were quiet for a long moment before Marcus spoke softly.

  
"I don't want to leave you. I love you both. I am in love with you and I want you to be protected. Yet, that day you came into my house, I had no idea what it would lead to. Had it just been this than I would have already married you. Yet, all this pain….how do I make it up to you, Abby?"

  
Suddenly, she sat up so that she could look at him.

  
"You think that I blame you? That I hold you responsible?"

  
Marcus reached up with his left hand and moved the hairs away from her face. For the first time, she saw the guilt all over him, as if it had taken up residence in his eyes. His voice was quiet when he began to speak.

  
"Had I not said anything when I drove you home that day. Had I not been so selfish with the life that I had wanted with you all those years ago, had I not been in love with you since the first time I saw your face decades ago, none of this would have happened."

  
It was Abby who shook her head as if somehow, she could convince him that he couldn't hold himself responsible any longer.

  
"Marcus Kane, do you think for one second that I could have gone my whole life without loving you after seeing you again?"

  
He stared up into her eyes as she leaned over looking at him.

  
"I love you, Abby. I do."

  
Marcus leaned up and kissed her in a way that left her breathless. He pulled away shortly after and looked around her to where Clarke was still engrossed with the movie. Abby looked momentarily at her daughter and then back at Marcus.

  
"Then don't leave. Don't go. Instead, take me by the hand and lead me into our room after Clarke is asleep and spend the whole night proving to me that you never want to leave."

  
Marcus cocked his head before gently holding the sides of her neck before bringing her mouth to his again.

  
"How quickly can you get her to sleep?"

  
He asked the questions between small kisses.

  
"She will be asleep before the movie is over. I'll just have to leave you and go sit in the rocking chair."

  
Marcus gave a nod before he placed a kiss on Abby's forehead.

  
"Go and do what you need to do."

  
Abby gave him a sweet smile through the tears were still in her eyes.

  
"Abby?"

  
"Yes?"

  
"I do love you."

  
This time the smile she gave him was more real than any other that he had witnessed from her recently.

 

 

Abby sat in her red pajama boy shorts with one of Marcus's old baseball t-shirts, her hair wet and wavy as it fell down her back and leaving droplets on the old shirt of his. Marcus had stayed in the recliner and had lost any interest at all in the movie long ago. Now, he watched as Abby sing softly to Clarke as she rocked her back and forth.   
It was perhaps those moments when Marcus knew that he had never loved Abby only for her beauty. He loved her because of all the small moments. It was in the way she laughed at his corny jokes, the way she knew just how to say the right thing at the right time, the way it felt when he pulled her against his own body, and even in the way that she was an incredible mother. In fact, he had known years before that he had wanted to build a life with Abby. He had known that it was her that should carry his last name. Now, as he watched her, he wondered if there would ever be a time when Clarke would be sitting on her mother's lap when Abby was swollen with their child that they had created. Marcus had always wanted to become a father and no other woman beside Abby would ever do.

  
He could hear Clarke's voice soft and sweet as she sleepily said something to her mother. A soft laugh from Abby as she answered her daughter. A tiny giggle came from Clarke and then the little girl didn't say another word as Abby gently rubbed her daughter's back. Marcus stayed silent as he watched her, there was no need to say anything, the only need was to watch her, to fall in love with her again while she did nothing more than to love her child.

  
Suddenly, Abby's eyes moved up to the man she loved. Their eyes stayed glue with the heat that they had denied for weeks before giving into it briefly four nights before. There was a look in Abby's eyes as her eyes moved over Marcus slowly, his body wanted to respond even with her several feet away. Abby looked hungry in a way that he hadn't been sure that he had seen from her before.

  
"She's asleep."

  
"Do you want me to carry her into her room?"

  
"Please."

  
Marcus stood up, he ignored all the toys on the floor, easily dodging them as he made his way to the two women he loved the most. Slowly, he scooped Clarke up in his arms before turning and carrying her down the hall, whispering to her the entire time in case she suddenly woke up. Abby followed him, watching the way the muscles moved in his back as he laid Clarke down onto the bed. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead before pulling the blanket up and covering her. Abby didn't have to tell him to turn on the nightlight, he already knew that the little girl would need it on.   
He made his way to the bedroom door, his eyes on Abby as he closed it behind him.

It was clear that Abby wanted him, he could see it in the way her eyes had taken on an even darker shade, how her nipples were hard beneath his t-shirt. There was something incredibly sexy about that. Her lips dragged seductively over her bottom lip and Marcus let out a small groan as he wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled Abby to him in order to kiss her like he would never stop.   
The frames on the wall clattered slightly as he pushed her into the wall, instantly his name was falling from her lips in a moan. As always, he felt her words reverberate through his chest as he lifted her with one easy move. She gripped his waist with her legs. Her fingers moved within his hair, trying desperately to pull him even closer. The thing with Marcus was that he knew how to use his hips and he did just that as he ground in circular motions against her.

"You always look good in this shirt."

  
"And here I am not wanting to wear it anymore."

  
He smiled against her lips as one of his hands drifted between them and he found the hem of her shirt. Abby gasped when she felt his fingertips move across her ribs and then up to her breast, his thumb being dragged across her taut nipple.

  
"Marcus…."

  
She felt the air hit her skin as he pulled the t-shirt up and pulled her nipple between his lips.

  
"I need you, Marcus."

  
A desperate groan was heard from him as her words fell upon him. Abby was sure that she felt him grow even harder.

  
Abby reached down and stroked him through his pajama pants, feeling the wetness of his tip through the material.

  
"Damn it, Abby."   
  
She smiled to herself knowing that he wanted her. Abby let her fingers moved inside the band of his pants as she managed to pull some of the material down. Marcus didn't stop her as they grinded against each other in the dark hallway. With one hand he pushed the material of her boy shorts to the side and then waited as Abby pulled him free of his clothing. Marcus slid into her easily.   
Their lips found each other as they swallowed each other's moans. She could feel his hands on her bottom as he held her in place. He threw his head back and clenched his jaw as he tried to remain quiet and exposed his neck. Quickly her mouth was on his neck, sucking and biting only causing him to moan more.

  
"I can't be this quiet, we have to get in the room, Abby."

  
He placed her down to her feet and immediately pulled his pajama pants from his body. Abby tossed her clothes in their room before watching as Marcus shut their bedroom door shut behind them. Quickly she wrapped her arms around his neck, once again he picked her up as she wrapped her legs around the man that she loved.

  
They fell onto the bed, Abby taking the brunt of their wait and yet, not caring, she just wanted him against her. They wasted no time joining their bodies back together, rocking against one another in a rhythm that made them both moan.

  
Marcus suddenly pulled out, it was clear that Abby was protesting and then his mouth enveloped her as two fingers slid into her. The move was so sudden and yet, sexy. Soon, Abby was cumming heavy and hard beneath him before he moved back up the length of her body and sliding back into her. Abby held him to her, knowing that he was close to exploding. Abby watched as his entire body seemed to twitch and then he slowed to a stop.

They laid together after, her chest to his back as he kept one arm around her. They were still coming back to themselves, their breathing slowing. He gave her a soft sweet kiss to the back of her neck. His fingertips trailing up and down her stomach as they laid there.

  
"Marcus?"

  
"Don't tell me you're ready for another round already."

  
She let out a sexy laugh.

  
"Not just yet. I'm starving, I think I need some pizza."

  
This time it was him that laughed.

  
"I think I can make that happen for you."

  
They laid in bed eating pizza, old reruns on television as they sat and talked.

  
"I love you, Abby. I'm sorry I got so weird earlier today."

  
"If you hadn't have gotten weird at some point, after all, we have been through, I would have thought something was wrong with you. It is good to know that you are human."

  
He leaned forward and kissed her softly.

  
"Marcus, I love you too."

The end


End file.
